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INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  1 

GLENN  W  HEl-rillCS 


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This  book  was  presented  by 

Mrs.    Lee   H»    Person 


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S00286676  2 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  DATE 
INDICATED  BELOW  AND  IS  SUB- 
JECT  TO  AN  OVERDUE  FINE  AS 
POSTED  AT  THE  CIRCULATION 
DESK. 


^tC  -  9  1987 


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INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC 
IMPORTANCE 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK  •    BOSTON   •    CHICAGO  •    DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •    SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  •    BOMBAY  •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC 
IMPORTANCE 


Outlines  of  Lectures  in  Economic 
Entomologv 


BY 

GLENN  W.  HERRTCK 

Professor  of  Economic  Entomology,  Cornell  University 


New  and  Revised  Edition 


NEW  YORK,  N.  Y. 
THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

1920 


Copyright  1915  and  1920 
By  The  Macmillan  Company 


New  and  Revised  Edition.      Published,  May,  1920 


PREFACE 

Not  all  insects  of  economic  importance  are  in- 
cluded in  these  outlines.  To  discuss  them  all,  a 
book  many  times  the  size  of  this  would  be  needed. 
However,  the  principal  pests  of  our  important 
fruits,  vegetables,  cereals,  farm  animals,  shade- 
trees,  and  of  the  household  are  discussed.  A  brief 
summary  of  the  life  habits  of  each,  so  far  as  they 
are  known,  is  made,  and  the  latest  methods  of  con- 
trol are  outlined.  In  addition,  a  concise  discussion 
of  insecticides  is  given  together  with  formulae  and 
directions  for  making  and  applying  them. 

Since  the  first  edition  of  these  outlines  was  pub- 
lished important  advances  have  been  made  in  our 
knowledge  of  the  habits  and  control  of  many  in- 
sect pests.  Therefore,  in  this  new  edition  some 
changes  in  the  text  and  many  additions  to  it  have 
been  made  in  an  attempt  to  bring  it  down  to  date. 

As  in  the  previous  edition,  references  are  again 
given  to  the  more  important  sources  of  information 
regarding  the  insects  and  their  control.  As  far  as 
possible,  references  are  made  to  bulletins  available 
to  the  general  student  and  to  those  publications  giv- 
ing faithful  illustrations  of  the  insects,  together 
with  the  most  approved  methods  of  control. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Losses  Caused  by  Insects 2 

Useful  Insects 4 

Entomological  Literature 6 

Natural  Methods  of  Insect  Control 8 

Artificial  Methods  of  Insect  Control     ....  10 

Poison  Insecticides 11 

Poison  Baits 17 

Contact  Insecticides 18 

Fumigating  Substances 27 

Miscellaneous  Means  of  Insect  Control      ...  29 

Dusting 30 

Quarantine  and  Insecticide  Laws 33 

Insects  Injurious  to  Orchard  Trees  and  Fruits     .  36 

Insects  Injurious  to  Small  Fruits 71 

Insects  Injurious  to  Vegetables 88 

Insects  Injurious  to  Hops 109 

Insects  Injurious  to  Tobacco 112 

Insects  Injurious  to  Cereal  Crops 114 

Clover  and  Alfalfa  Pests 123 

Cotton  Pests 127 

Insects  Injurious  to  Stored  Grain 130 

Insects  Injurious  to  Greenhouse  Plants    .      .      .131 

Insects  Injurious  to  Shade  Trees 137 

Insects  Injurious  to  Farm  Animals       ....  144 

External  Parasites  of  Poultry I53 

Insects  Injurious  to  the  Household 158 


INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC 
IMPORTANCE 


The  science  of  economic  entomology  has  made 
rapid  progress  during  the  last  twenty  years.  It  has 
advanced  astonishingly  in  the  number  of  persons 
engaged  in  the  study  of  insects  for  the  purpose  of 
preventing  their  ravages,  in  developing  and  per- 
fecting mixtures  for  repelling  and  killing  insects,  in 
devising  effective  apparatus  for  applying  insecti- 
cides, and  in  determining  more  exact  methods  of 
preventing  the  losses  caused  by  these  persistent 
pests.  The  following  outlines  of  lectures  are  in- 
tended to  cover,  as  far  as  is  possible  in  a  brief,  gen- 
eral course,  the  different  phases  of  the  subject  of 
economic  entomology  as  it  exists  to-day. 

OBJECTS  OF  THE  COURSE 

(a)  To  become  acquainted  with  the  common  in- 
sect pests  and  with  their  habits  and  life  histories  in 
order  that  they  may  be  fought  intelligently. 

(b)  To  become  acquainted  with  the  modern  and 
most  practical  methods  of  fighting  insect  pests. 

TWO  PHASES  OF  ENTOMOLOGY 

(a)  The  pure  science  of  entomology. 

(b)  The  economic  or  science  applied  of  ento- 
mology. 

The  pure  science  of  entomology  is  a  study  of  the 
kinds  of  insects  together  with  their  relationships  to 


2  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

each  other,  their  structure,  habits,  aud  trausfornia- 
tions.  It  is  a  work  of  research  and  pleasure  and 
forms  the  basis  of  economic  entomolog-y. 

Economic  entomology  is  research  on  the  Hfe  his- 
tories and  habits  of  injurious  insects  and  the  deter- 
mination of  some  method  whereby  their  ravag-es 
may  be  avoided  or  controhed. 

LOSSES  CAUSED  BY  INSECTS 

The  losses  caused  by  insects  in  the  United  States 
alone  are  estimated  to  aggregate  more  than  a  bil- 
lion dollars  annually/ 

The  value  of  the  different  crops  and  products 
produced  in  1909  in  the  United  States  is  given  in 
round  numbers  in  the  following  table,  the  figures 
being  taken  mainly  from  the  census  of  1910.  The 
losses  by  insect  pests  are  estimated  to  be  at  least 
10%  of  the  value  of  these  products  and  in  two  cases 
at  least  20%. 

Percentage  of         Total  loss 

Product                Value  in  u)og        loss  by  insects  by  insects 

Cereals    2,600,000,000  10  $260,000,000 

Other  grains  and  seeds       97,000,000  10  9,700,000 

Hay  and  forage 824,000,000  10  82,400,000 

Tobacco   104,000,000  10  10,400,000 

Cotton  and  seed 825,000,000  10  82,500,000 

Sugar  crops   62,000,000  10  6,200,000 

Minor  crops    18,000,000  10  1,800,000 

Vegetables    418,000,000  20  83,600,000 

Fruits  and  nuts 222,000,000  20  44,400,000 

Flowers  and  plants. .. .        35,000,000  10  3,500.000 

Nursery  products    ....        21,000,000  10  2,100,000 

Farm  forests   195,000,000  10  19,500,000 

Animal  products    3,000,000,000  to  300,000,000 

Forests   to  -  100,000.000 

Stored  products 10  ^  200,000,000 

$1,206,100,000 

Quaintance  estimates  the  annual  loss  to  the  de- 

1  Marlatt— Jr.  Ec.  Ent..  Vol.  4,  p.  109. 

2  Hopkins— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  58,  Ft,  5. 

3  Estimated. 


LOSSES  BY  INSECTS  3 

ciduous  fruit  interests  of  the  United  States  as  over 
$66,000,000. 

The  annual  loss  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States  from  malarial  diseases  carried  by  mosquitoes 
is  not  less  than  $100,000,000.^  The  loss  to  agri- 
culture and  other  industries  as  a  result  of  malaria 
is  enormous.^ 

The  loss  that  has  been  caused  by  yellow  fever, 
carried  only  by  mosquitoes,  cannot  now  be  esti- 
mated but  was  certainly  very  great. 

Typhoid  fever,  due  in  large  measure,  at  least,  to 
its  dissemination  by  the  house-fly,  causes  a  very 
great  annual  monetary  loss. 

The  Mexican  cotton-boll  weevil  costs  Texas  at 
least  $25,000,000  annually,  and  it  is  estimated  that 
when  it  spreads  over  the  whole  cotton  area  it  will 
cause  a  yearly  loss  of  $250,000,000. 

The  Hessian  wheat-fly  in  1900  cost  the  wheat 
growers  $100,000,000. 

The  chinch  bug  during  the  period  from  1850  to 
1909  caused  a  loss  estimated  as  probably  in  excess 
of  $350,000,000.^ 

The  codling  moth  causes  the  fruit  growers  of  the 
U.  S.  a  loss  of  over  $12,000,000  and  of  New  York, 
alone,  more  than  $3,000,000  annually. 

COST  OF  FIGHTING  INSECTS 

To  the  destruction  occasioned  by  insects  must  be 
added  the  cost  of  fighting  them. 

It  is  estimated  that  it  costs  $4,000,000  to  spray 
the  apple  trees  in  the  United  States  for  the  codling 
moth. 

It  is  said  that  it  costs  $10,000,000  annually  to 
spray  for  the  San  Jose  scale. 

4  Howard— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  78. 

^  Herrick — Popular  Science  Monthly,  April,  1903. 

c  Webster— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  113. 


4  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

It  costs  $10,000,000  to  screen  against  the  house- 
fly. 

The  New  England  States  and  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment have  ah-eady  spent  over  $10,000,000  in 
fighting  the  gypsy  and  brown-tail  moths  and  at  the 
present  time  are  spending  fully  $1,000,000  per  an- 
num. 

OUR  INSECT  FOES  ARE  INCREASING 

Insect  pests  are  coming  from  foreign  countries — 
San  Jose  scale,  gypsy  moth,  Mexican  cotton-boll 
weevil,  and  many  others — unaccompanied  by  nat- 
ural checks."^ 

Out  of  y^  of  our  worst  pests,  at  least  '^^J  or  over 
half  have  been  imported  from  foreign  countries. 

Insects  once  harmless  become  serious  pests  ow- 
ing to  changed  conditions — Colorado  potato  beetle, 
blister-mite,  redbugs,  et  al.^ 

Happily,  not  all  insects  are  injurious;  many  of 
them  are  beneficial. 


USEFUL  INSECTS 

Silk-worms  furnish  material  for  clothing. 

Scale  insects  produce  a  waxy  material  from  which 
shellac  is  made.  Shellac  is  used  in  paints  and  var- 
nishes and  in  making  inks,  gramophone  records, 
jewelry  settings,  etc..^  The  pulverized  bodies  of 
certain  species  furnish  cochineal. 

The  census  of  10 10  reports  3,4-15,006  colonies  of 
bees  in  the  United  States  valued  at  $10,373,615. 
The  value  of  the  honey  and  wax  produced  was 
nearly  $6,000,000.     Bees  also  aid  in  the  cross-pol- 

7  Howard— U.  S.  Dept.  Agri.,  Yearbook  1897,  p.  529. 

8  Herrick— Cornell  Countryman,  1910,  Vol.  8,  No.  2,  p.  28. 

9  Comstock— U.  S.  Ent,  Report  for  1880. 


USEFUL  INSECTS  5 

lination  of  flowers.     Bumblebees  perform  a  notable 
service  in  cross-pollinating  clover/^ 

The  Blastophaga,  a  minute  wasp-like  insect, 
cross-pollinates  the  cultivated  and  wild  fig,  thus 
making  possible  the  production  of  the  Smyrna  fig 
in  California/^ 

PREDACEOUS  INSECTS 

Many  species  of  insects  catch  and  devour  other 
species  for  food.  These  are  known  as  predaceous 
insects  and  they  are  of  immense  value  in  aiding 
man  in  the  fight  against  his  insect  foes.^^ 

The  ladybird  beetles  are  probably  the  most  impor- 
tant. There  are  several  species,  the  two-spotted 
ladybird  (Adalia  bipunctata),  the  twice  stabbed 
ladybird  (Chilocorus  bivulnents),  the  convergent 
ladybird  (Hippodaniia  convcrgens),  and  other  spe- 
cies. 

Many  larvae  of  a  family  of  flies,  the  Syrphidce, 
perform  great  benefit  in  destroying  plant  lice. 

The  ground-beetles  (Carabidcu)  are  exceedingly 
beneficial  in  destroying  insects  that  are  found  upon 
or  in  the  soil. 

Other  beetles,  flies,  wasps,  and  certain  bugs,  con- 
tribute to  the  good  work. 

PARASITIC  INSECTS 

There  are  many  insects  that  live  upon  or  within 
the  eggs  or  bodies  of  other  insects  and  derive  the 
nourishment  necessary  for  their  growth  from  their 
living  hosts.  These  are  called  parasitic  insects  and 
are  among  the  best  natural  checks  of  insect  pests. ^^ 

10  Waldron— Report  of  North  Dakota  Sub-Expt.  Sta.,  at  Dickin- 
son, 1908. 

11  Howard — U.  S.  Dept.  Agri.,  Yearbook  1900,  p.  79. 

12  Smith — Insect  Friends  and  Foes. 

^3  Webster — U.  S.  Dept.  Agri.,  Yearbook  for  1907,  p.  237. 


6  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  LMPORTANCE 

One  of  the  interesting  and  effective  groups  of 
parasitic  insects  is  the  tachinid  flies  (Family — 
TacJii]iidcc). 

Probably  the  greatest  number  of  parasites  is 
found  in  the  order  Hymenopfera.  For  example, 
the  ichneumon-flies,  braconid-flies,  chalcis-flies  and 
the  proctotrypid-flies. 

ENTOMOLOGICAL  LITERATURE 

No  one  volume  could  contain  descriptions  of  a).' 
insects. 

Fifty  thousand  or  more  described  species  from 
N.  A.. 

Descriptions  and  life  histories  would  fill  150 
volumes. 

OUR  MAIN  SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION 

1.  Bulletins  of  the  dift'erent  state  experiment 
stations  throughout  the  United  States. 

2.  Bulletins  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Entomology, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

3.  Farmers'  Bulletins  of  the  U.  S.  Dept.  Agri- 
culture, Washington,  D.  C. 

4.  Yearbooks  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, Washington,  D.  C. 

5.  In  New  York  State  the  bulletins  of  the  State 
Entomologist,  Education  Building,  Albany,  N.  Y. ; 
the  bulletins  of  the  State  Experiment  Station,  Ge- 
neva, N.  Y. ;  and  the  bulletins  of  the  Cornell  Uni- 
versity Experiment  Station  are  available  sources  of 
information. 

SOME  BOOKS 

Manual  of  Fruit  Insects,  by  M.  V.  Slingerland 
and  C.  R.  Crosby,  Macmillan  Co. 


ENTOMOLOGICAL  LITERATURE  7 

Insect  Pests  of  Farm,  Garden  and  Orchard,  by 
E.  D.  Sanderson,  John  Wiley  &  Sons. 

Insects  injurious  to  Vegetables,  by  F,  H.  Chitten- 
den, Orange  Judd  Co. 

Manual  of  Vegetable  Insects,  by  C.  R.  Crosby 
and  M.  D.  Leonard,  Macmillan  Co. 

Insects  and  Insecticides,  by  C.  M.  Weed,  Orange 
Judd  Co. 

^  Economic  Entomology,  by  J.  B.  Smith,  J.  B.  Lip- 
pincott  Co. 

Insects  Injurious  to  the  Household  and  Annoy- 
ing to  Man,  by  Glenn  W.  Herrick,  Macmillan  Co"! 

Manual  for  the  Study  of  Insects,  by  J.  H.  Com- 
stock,  Comstock  Pub.  Co. 

NUMBER  OF  INSECTS 

Over  350,000  now  known  and  described.  Esti- 
mated to  be  from  two  to  ten  millions.  Over  50,000 
from  North  x\merica.  Several  thousand  are  being 
described  each  year. 

GROUPS  CONTAINING  THE  PRINCIPAL  IN- 
JURIOUS INSECTS 

1.  Ortlwptcra — Crickets,  grasshoppers,  cock- 
roaches, et  al. 

2.  Hcmiptcra — aphids,  scale  insects,  chinch  bugs, 
et  al. 

3.  Lepidoptera^ — butterflies  and  moths. 

4.  Dipt  era — flies. 

5.  Cole  opt  era — beetles. 

6.  Hymenoptcra — sawflies,  bees,  ants,  wasps, 
etal. 

Again,  all  of  the  injurious  insects  may  be  gath- 
ered into  two  great  groups,  dependent  upon  the 
structure  of  their  mouthparts.  These  are  the  suck- 
ing and  biting  insects. 


8  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

a.  Sucking"  insects 

These  are  represented  by  the  aphids,  bugs,  and 
flies.  The  niouthparts  are  formed  for  piercing  the 
plant  and  sucking  out  the  juices. 

b.  Biting  insects 

These  may  be  represented  by  the  grasshoppers 
and  l3eetles.  The  niouthparts  are  formed  for  biting 
ofl^  bits  of  the  plants  and  chewing  them. 

METHODS  OF  CONTROL  OF  INSECT  PESTS 

Ideas  and  practices  of  ancient  times  and  peoples. 
Modern  ideas  and  practices  are  based  on  two 
main  methods :  natural  and  artificial. 

Natural  methods 

Hand-picking — tomato  worms,  tobacco  worms, 
squash  bugs. 

Cutting  out  by  hand — peach-tree  borer,  apple-tree 
borers. 

Covering  plants  to  protect  them — cucumber 
beetles. 

Hopper-dozers — for  grasshoppers  and  leafhop- 
pers. 

Burlap  and  cotton  bands — for  canker-worms  and 
codling  moth. 

Sticky  bands — for  canker-worms  and  gypsy 
moth. 

Sticky  shields — for  leafhoppers. 

Barrier  method — for  chinch  bug  and  army 
worms. 

Collecting  eggs — gypsy  moth  and  tent  caterpil- 
lars. 

Collecting  larv?e — brown-tail  moth. 

Burning  branches  and  trees — for  shot-hole  borer, 
bronze  birch  borer,  twig  girdler,  raspberry  cane- 
girdler,  et  al. 


NATURAL  METHODS  OF  CONTROL        9 

Cleaning  up  rubbish  and  weeds — for  cabbage  in- 
sects, cotton-boll  weevil,  plum  curculio,  et  al. 

Burning  straw,  leaves,  and  grass — for  Hessian 
fly  and  chinch  bugs. 

Planting  early — for  cotton-boll  weevil. 

Planting  late — for  corn  root-worm  and  Hessian 
fly  and  pea  weevil. 

Plowing  in  fall — for  wire  worms  and  for  white 
grubs. 

Rotating  crops — for  white  grubs,  for  corn  bill- 
bugs,  and  for  many  pests. 

Resistant  varieties  of  plants — Kieffer  pear, 
American  grape  stocks.  Northern  Spy  root-stocks. 

Use  of  commercial  fertilizers — very  little  if  of 
any  use  directly.  Of  use  in  accelerating  growth  to 
hasten  maturity  and  to  make  strong  resistant  plants. 
Phosphoric  acid  and  cotton. 

Refraining  from  planting  badly  infested  crops 
for  two  or  three  years — chinch  bugs  and  wheat, 
boll-weevil  and  cotton. 

Isolating  fields — For  cotton-boll  weevil,  et  al. 

Mowing  crops  early — clover  seed  insects. 

Protecting  birds — Birds  should  be  protected 
and  encouraged  to  make  their  homes  on  the  farm 
and  about  the  orchards.  They  help  to  hold  the 
balance  of  nature  and  certainly  aid  greatly  in  hold- 
ing insects  in  check. 

One  hawk  after  a  chicken  condemns  the  whole 
bird  tribe ;  the  great  horned  owl  is  a  friend  of  man 
wherever  mice  and  rabbits  abound,  but  where  these 
are  scarce,  as  in  thickly  populated  districts  the  owl 
is  driven  to  other  food;  the  sharp-shinned  and 
cooper's  hawk  are  enemies  to  wild  birds  and  chick- 
ens and  should  be  killed;  other  hawks  and  owls 
feed  mostly  on  mice  and  insects;  many  species  of 
birds  are  known  to  live  almost  wholly  upon  insects. 

Insects  constitute  65  %  of  the  annual  food  supply 


10  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

of  the  downy  woodpecker,  a  very  large  percent  of 
the  food  of  warljlers,  95%  of  the  food  of  the  house 
wren,  and  96%  of  the  food  of  the  flycatchers. 
Three  hundred  to  five  hundred  insects  have  been 
found  in  the  stomach  of  one  bird. 

The  mobihty  of  birds  makes  them  very  efficient. 
Forbes  showed  that  in  orchards  where  canker- 
worms  were  abundant  birds  became  abnormally 
plentiful. 

Flycatchers  and  swallows  live  upon  flying  insects, 
while  robins  and  meadowlarks  catch  ground  insects. 
Cuckoos,  orioles,  warblers,  and  vireos  devour  leaf- 
eating  insects  while  nuthatches,  titmice,  and  creep- 
ers explore  trunks  of  trees  for  small  insects. 

References  on  the  ivork  of  birds: 

Henshaw — U.  S.  Dept.  Agri.,  vearbook  1907,  p. 

165. 

Beal — U.  S.  Dept.  Agri.,  yearbook  1908,  p.  343. 

Sanderson — New  Hamp.  Expt.  Sta.,  19th  and 
20th  Rpts.,  1908,  p.  398. 

Forbush — Useful  Birds  and  their  Protection. 

Introduction  of  predaceous  insects — Preda- 
ceous  insects,  especially  ladybird  beetles  and  cer- 
tain ground  beetles  are  sometimes  introduced  into 
a  locality  to  prey  upon  injurious  insects.  For  ex- 
ample, the  Australian  ladybird  {Noviiis  cardinalis), 
the  ground  beetle  (Calosoma  sycophant  a),  and  the 
convergent  ladybird  (Hippodamia  convergens). 

Introduction  of  parasitic  insects — Parasitic 
insects  are  introduced  into  one  country  from  an- 
other to  help  in  the  fight  against  insect  pests.  For 
example,  the  many  parasites  introduced  from  Eu- 
rope to  prey  upon  the  gypsy  and  brown-tail  moths. 

Artificial  methods 

Artificial  methods  consist  mainly  in  the  use  of 
insecticides. 


POISON  INSECTICIDES  n 

^  The  kind  of  insecticide  used  will  depend  upon  the 
kind  of  mouthparts  the  pest  has,  whether  biting  or 
sucking. 

It  will  also  depend  somewhat  upon  the  life  his- 
tory and  habits  of  the  pest. 

There  are  two  main  kinds  of  insecticides. — (a) 
Poisons  for  biting  insects;  (b)  contact  substances 
for  sucking  insects.  Gases  are  also  used  for  both 
biting  and  sucking  insects. 

POISONS  FOR  BITING  INSECTS 

Several  forms  of  arsenical  poisons  are  used  for 
killing  insects  that  eat  the  foliage  of  plants.  Ar- 
senate of  lead,  however,  is  more  universally  used 
in  orchard  work  than  any  of  the  others.  The  fol- 
lowing are  some  of  the  poisons  employed  : 

1.  White  arsenic. 

2.  Paris  green. 

3.  Arsenate  of  lead. 

4.  Arsenate  of  calcium. 

5.  Arsenite  of  zinc. 

6.  Arsenite  of  lime. 

7.  Arsenite  of  copper. 

8.  London  purple. 

9.  Paragrene. 
10.  Hellebore. 

Arsenic 

White  arsenic  (AS2O3)  is  a  white  heavy  powder 
and  the  cheapest  form  of  a  poison  insecticide.  Un- 
fortunately, it  is  soluble  in  water  and  therefore  will 
burn  foliage.  It  can  be  used  in  combination  with 
lime  or  Bordeaux  mixture,  however,  if  the  proper 
precautions  are  taken. 

In  the  following  formulas  the  arsenic  is  com- 
bined with  lime  and  the  material  is  known  as  arsen- 
ite of  lime. 


INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 


Kedzie  formuk 


Common  formula  ^"^  - 


1  lb.  white  arsenic 

2  lbs.  quick  lime 
Taft  formula  '*          -!  2  gals,  water 

Boil  together  for  40  min.  and  dilute 
to  300  gallons  with  water. 

I   lb.  white  arsenic 

4  lbs.  crystals  sal  soda 

I  gal.  water 

Boil  together  until  dissolved — about 
15  or  20  min.  Use  i  pint  to  50 
gals,  water  with  2  or  3  lbs.  quick 
lime  added. 

I  lb.  white  arsenic 

I  lb.  sal  soda 

1  gal.  water 

2  lb.  quick  lime 

Dissolve  the  white  arsenic  and  sal  soda  in  the 
water  by  boiling  all  together  in  an  iron  vessel  for 
about  15  or  20  minutes.  Use  this  solution  while 
hot  to  slake  the  lime.  Add  enough  water  to  make 
2  gallons.  Use  2  quarts  of  this  to  50  gallons  of 
water. 

Another  method  of  making  arsenite  of  lime  is  to 
boil  I  pound  of  white  arsenic  and  4  pounds  of  quick 
lime  in  4  gallons  of  water  for  half  an  hour  and 
then  dilute  to  200  gallons  of  water.  The  arsenic 
may  not  all  combine  with  the  lime  thus  causing 
burning.  These  combinations  of  arsenic  and  lime 
have  not  given  satisfaction  when  used  with  lime- 
sulphur.^"^ 

Paris  green 


First  used  against  Colorado  potato  beetle  about 
1868;  2000  to  3000  tons  used  every  year;  it  is  com- 


!•*  Woodworth  and  Colby — Calif.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  126,  p.  22,. 

15  Qnaintancc — U.  S.  Dept.  Agri.,  Yearbook  igo8,  p.  275. 

16  Slingerland,  Herrick,   Crosby — Cornell  Univ.   Expt.   Stat. 
283,  p.  476. 

17  Scott— U.  S.  Bu.  Pit.  Ind.,  Circ.  54,  p.  14. 


Bull. 


POISON  INSECTICIDES  13 

posed  of  white  arsenic/^  copper  oxide,  and  acetic 
acid.  When  pure  it  consists  of  58.65%  arsenious 
oxide,  31.29%  copper  oxide,  10.06%  acetic  acid. 
Not  over  3y2%  should  be  sokible. 

Paris  green  ^^  is  a  coarse  powder  and  not  easily 
held  in  suspension;  it  cannot  be  used  on  conifers; 
cannot  be  used  with  fungicides  containing  am- 
monia; cannot  be  combined  with  lime-sulphur  with 
safety ;  does  not  adhere  well  to  foliage.  At  least  i 
pound  of  freshly  slaked  lime  should  be  mixed  with 
every  pound  of  paris  green  to  take  up  the  soluble 
arsenic  and  prevent  burning  of  the  foliage  or  it 
should  be  combined  with  Bordeaux  mixture. 

STANDARD    FORMULAS 

Paris  green 4  oz.     Paris  green i  lb. 

Quick  lime i  lb.    Quick  lime.  . 2  lbs. 

Water 50  gals.     Water 200  gals. 

Stewart  recommends  i  pound  of  paris  green  per 
acre  of  potatoes  whether  50  gallons  or  100  gallons 
of  Bordeaux  are  applied.  If  the  poison  is  used  in 
water  alone  then  i  or  2  pounds  of  quick  lime  should 
be  slaked  and  added. 

Impurities  and  tests  for  "^ — Paris  green  can 
be  tested  in  three  simple  ways  for  impurities:  i. 
Ammonia  test.  Paris  green  dissolves  wholl)^  in 
ammonia  leaving  no  residue;  2.  Glass  slide  test. 
Pure  paris  green  jarred  on  a  slide  leaves  a  bright 
green  streak.  If  impure  the  streak  is  whitish  or 
pale  green;  3.  Microscopic  test.  Under  the  micro- 
scope the  grains  of  paris  green  appear  like  clean 
round  balls.  The  crystals  of  the  impurities  will 
appear  angular,  irregular  and  whitish. 

18  Lodeman — Spraying  of  Plants,  pp.  59-74. 

19  Smith — New  Jersey  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  213. 
20Woodworth  &  Colby— Calif.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  126. 


H  INSECTS  OF  ECONOAIIC  IMPORTANCE 

Arsenate  of  lead  ^^ 

The  paste  form — Was  first  used  in  fighting  in- 
sects in  New  England  in  1893. 

A  compound  ""  of  arsenic  oxide  and  lead  oxide ; 
remains  in  suspension  better  than  paris  green;  is 
white  in  color  and  leaves  a  mark  on  foliage;  will 
not  ordinarily  burn  foliage;  sticks  to  plant  tena- 
ciously; several  applications  may  injure  peach  foli- 
age. 

The  commercial  brands  vary  from  12%  to  over 
20%  of  arsenic  oxide  ^^ — the  average  being  about 
15%.  They  usually  contain  less  than  1%  soluble 
or  free  arsenic. 

Chemically,  arsenate  of  lead  may  be  (i)  of 
the  lead  hydrogen,  or  acid,  or  plumbic  form 
PbHAs04  or  (2)  of  the  basic,  neutral,  or  triplum- 
bic  form,  Pb3(As04)2.  Usually  the  commercial 
brands  are  a  mixture  of  these  two  forms  although 
the  acid  lead  often  predominates.  The  acid  lead, 
when  mixed  with  lime-sulphur  for  a  summer  spray, 
tends  to  pass  through  a  chemical  reaction  and  form 
soluble  arsenic  which  is  likely  to  cause  burning  of 
the  foliage.  At  the  same  time  the  sulphur  con- 
tent of  the  solution  is  decreased  and  its  fungicidal 
value  lessened.  On  the  other  hand  the  basic,  or 
neutral  lead  when  combined  with  lime-sulphur  does 
not  have  a  tendency  to  form  soluble  arsenic  and  it 
is  therefore  safer  on  foliage  although  not  quite  so 
rapid  in  its  effect  as  a  poison.  The  addition  of  lime 
will  largely  prevent  the  acid  lead  from  reacting. ^^ 

Injury  to  foliage  by  arsenate  of  lead — The 
water  in  which  the  arsenate  of  lead  is  suspended 
seems  to  have  some  determining  effect  upon  the  in- 

21  Burgess  and  Rogers— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  87,  p.  17. 

22  Smith— New  Jersey  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  213,  p.  11. 

23  Haywood  and  McDonnell— U.  S.  Bu.  Chcm.,  Bull.  131. 

24  Robinson— Jr.  Ec.  Ent.,  Vol.  12,  p.  429. 


POISON  INSECTICIDES  15 

jury  caused.-'  Distilled  water  with  salt  added 
causes  decided  injury  to  foliage;  distilled  water 
with  sodium  carbonate  added  causes  decided  in- 
jury; distilled  water  alone  almost  no  injury;  dis- 
tilled water  with  lime  added  almost  no  injury. 
Clear  sunny  weather  following  application  seems 
favorable  to  injury;  dew  followed  by  sunshine 
seems  favorable  to  injury. 

Soap  is  sometimes  used  as  a  sticker  for  arsenate 
of  lead  and  as  an  agent  to  hold  it  in  suspension.-^ 

Drying  and  freezing  of  the  paste  and  effect  on 
its  powers  of  suspension  and  adherence  to  foliage. 

The  powdered  form  -'—It  is  a  fine,  white, 
amorphous  powder,  the  commercial  brands  of 
which  seem  to  be  largely  composed  of  the  biplumbic 
form.  It  was  first  used  in  fighting  the  Mexican 
cotton-boll  weevil.  The  commercial  brands  are 
high  in  arsenic  oxid  containing  generally  about 
30%.  Experiments  have  shown  that  it  is  equal  in 
effectiveness  to  the  paste  form  when  combined  with 
a  suitable  carrier.  Experiments  have  also  shown 
that  when  tested  on  glass  slips  some  brands  do  not 
adhere  quite  as  well  as  the  paste  form.  It  can  be 
used  in  combination  with  liquid  lime-sulphur  or  with 
Bordeaux  mixture  or  alone  in  water  or  it  can  be 
used  as  a  dust  alone  or  combined  with  dry  sulphur. 

Arsenate  of  calcium 

Arsenate  of  calcium  ^^  is  cheaper  than  the  lead 
form  of  arsenates  and  is  apparently  effective  in 
poisoning  power,  although  perhaps  not  quite  equal 
to  the  hydrogen  lead  arsenate.  In  general  the  two 
forms   (i)    calcium  hydrogen  arsenate  CaHAs04 

25  Haywood  and  McDonnell— U.  S.  Bii.  Chem.,  Bull.  131. 

26  Cooley— Montana  Expt.   Stat.,  Bull.  86. 

27  Hinds— Jr.  Ec.  Ent.,  Vol.  6,  p.  477. 

28  Lovett  and  Robinson— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Jr.  Agr.  Res.,  Vol.  X, 
p.  199. 


i6  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

and  (2)  tricalcium  arsenate  Ca->(As04)2  are  the 
forms  that  have  been  used.  The  latter  appears  to 
be  more  stable  and  less  liable  to  form  soluble  arsenic 
and  is  therefore  safer  to  use  as  a  spraying  material. 
The  calcium  hydrogen  arsenate  when  combined 
with  lime-sulphur  for  summer  spraying  is  likely  to 
give  severe  burning  depending  somewhat  on 
weather  conditions.  The  commercial  mixtures  ap- 
pear to  be  a  combination  of  the  calcium  hydrogen 
arsenate  and  the  tricalcium  arsenate.  When  com- 
posed of  pure  tricalcium  arsenate  less  injury  may 
be  expected.  Calcium  arsenates  are  high  in  arsenic 
content  and  when  manufactured  properly  may 
prove  to  be  of  much  use  in  spraying  operations. 
At  present  they  are  in  the  experimental  stage. 

ArSENITE    of    ZINC 

Arsenite  of  zinc  ^^  is  a  white  powder  and  high  in 
arsenic  content  containing  about  40%  of  arsenious 
oxide.  Tt  has  been  used  with  success  apparently  in 
the  Pajaro  Valley,  Calif.,  on  the  foliage  of  apple, 
potato  and  bean.  In  the  East  it  has  proven  danger- 
ous on  apple  foliage  when  used  alone  or  with  lime- 
sulphur.  In  combination  w^ith  Bordeaux  mixture 
it  appears  to  cause  no  injury  to  apple  foliage.  It 
is  of  use  in  spraying  potatoes  because  of  its  high 
toxic  quality. 

''Slug-shot" 

This  appears  to  be  mostly  composed  of  gypsum 
and  not  of  much  value  as  an  insecticide.^^ 

Bug  death 

Is  another  trade  insecticide  of  little  value  for  it  is 
largely  composed  of  zinc  and  iron  oxids.^^ 

29  Schoene— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Tech.  Bull.  28. 

30  Van  Slyke— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.  Bull.  165. 
?i  Smith— New  Jersey  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull,  214,  p.  14. 


POISON  INSECTICIDES  17 

Black  death 
It  is  composed  mostly  of  gypsum. ^- 

LONDON    PURPLE  ^^ 

It  is  a  waste  product  in  the  manufacture  of  ani- 
line dyes ;  contains  a  large  percent  of  soluble  arsenic 
and  must  have  lime  added  in  liberal  amounts  to  pre- 
vent burning.     It  is  not  used  to  any  extent. 

Hellebore  ^"^ 

The  term  ''hellebore"  is  said  to  be  correctly  ap- 
plied only  to  Hellehorus  niger  which  grows  in  Eu- 
rope and  is  not  now  imported  commercially. 

It  is  a  whitish  poisonous  powder  obtained  from 
pulverizing  the  roots  of  the  hellebore  plants  Vera- 
triim  album  and  Veratrum  viride.  The  powder  of 
the  former  is  largely  imported  while  that  of  the 
latter  is  an  American  product.  Both  seem  equally 
valuable  as  insecticides.  It  is  apt  to  lose  its 
strength  quickly  and  often  difficult  to  obtain  fresh. 
Can  be  applied  to  ripening  fruit  without  fear  of 
poisoning,  because  its  strength  is  so  rapidly  lost  in 
open  air.  It  is  valuable  for  the  currant  worm  and 
is  usually  applied  dry  either  pure  or  mixed  with 
flour  or  lime  at  the  rate  of  i  to  3 ;  may  be  applied 
wet  by  steeping  i  ounce  in  a  quart  of  water  and 
adding  another  quart  of  cold  water. 

Poison  baits 

A  mixture  of  fruit  juice,  bran,  and  parls  green 
or  white  arsenic  for  cutworms,  grasshoppers,  and 
army  worms  has  proven  very  efficient.     A  recom- 

32  Van  Slyke— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  165. 

33  IMarlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  127,  p.  8. 

3*  Cook,  Hutchison  and  Scales— U.  S.  Bu,  Ent,  Bull  245,  p.  17. 


i8  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

mended  formula  ^^  for  cutworms  is  as  follows :  2 
pounds  of  paris  green,  50  pounds  of  wheat  bran 
and  six  finely  chopped  oranges  or  lemons.  Bring 
this  mixture  to  a  stiff  dough  by  adding  cheap  mo- 
lasses and  distribute  over  the  field  in  small  lumps 
and  near  each  plant. 

The  formula  ^^  used  so  successfully  in  Kansas 
for  poisoning  grasshoppers  is  as  follows :  i  pound 
of  paris  green,  20  pounds  of  wheat  bran,  2  quarts 
of  syrup,  the  juice  and  pulp  of  3  oranges  or  lemons, 
and  3^<  gals:  w^ater.  The  bran  and  paris  green 
are  thoroughly  mixed  while  dry.  The  juice  of  the 
oranges  is  squeezed  into  the  water  after  which  the 
pulp  and  skin  are  chopped  fine  and  added  to  the 
water.  The  syrup  is  then  poured  into  the  water 
and  this  liquid  mixture  of  fruit  juice,  syrup  and 
water  is  used  to  thoroughly  dampen  the  bran  and 
paris  green.  The  bait  is  sown  broadcast  in  the  in- 
fested fields  in  the  early  morning. 

In  Canada  a  mixture  of  shorts,  50  pounds;  mo- 
lasses, I  gallon;  paris  green,  i  pound;  and  water, 
1 1-2  gallons  has  been  effective. ^^  The  shorts  do  not 
dry  out  as  rapidly  as  bran.  For  cutworms  that 
feed  below  the  surface  the  bait  should  be  harrowed 
into  the  soil. 

Freshly  cut  clover  dipped  in  a  strong  arsenical 
solution  is  eff'ective  for  cutworms.  Renew  as  often 
as  it  dries. 

Slices  of  potatoes  dusted  with  an  arsenical  dis- 
tributed about  beds  in  a  greenhouse  are  effective 
against  sowbugs. 

CONTACT  SUBSTANCES  FOR  SUCKING  INSECTS 

I.   Pyrethrum. 

35  Walton  and  Davis— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  739- 

36  Dean— Jr.  Ec.  Ent.,  Vol.  7,  P-  67. 

37  Strickland— Canad.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ent.  Br.,  Circ.  6,  1916. 


CONTACT  INSECTICIDES  19 

2.  Tobacco. 

3.  Soaps. 

4.  Oils. 

5.  Lime-sulphur. 

6.  Carbolic-acid  emulsion. 

Pyrethrum 

Commonly  called  Persian  Insect  Powder/^  Dal- 
matian powder,  and  Buhach;  formerly  imported 
under  two  first  names;  now  manufactured  in 
California  under  name  Buhach.  It  is  a  powder 
made  from  the  pulverized  flower  heads  of  Chrysan- 
themum cinerarice folium;  contains  a  volatile  oil  and 
kills  by  contact;  harmless  to  human  beings  and  to 
plants.  It  is  expensive  and  soon  loses  its  effec- 
tiveness w^hen  exposed  to  the  air.  Buhach  is 
most  apt  to  be  fresh.  It  is  used  chiefly  in  green- 
houses and  in  the  household  where  it  is  usually 
sifted  dry  on  the  plants  or  in  the  rooms.  It  may  be 
applied  wet  by  steeping  i  ounce  in  a  quart  of  boiling 
w^ater  for  5  or  10  minutes  to  which  3  quarts  of  cold 
water  should  be  added. 

Tobacco 

The  insecticidal  power  of  tobacco  is  due  to  the 
nicotine  it  contains.  Is  often  used  as  a  dust  ^^ 
against  plant  and  animal  lice  and  against  ticks.  It 
is  said  to  be  useful  in  controlling  the  woolly  aphis 
on  the  roots  of  apple  trees  and  also  acts  as  a  good 
fertilizer.  It  is  a  waste  product  of  tobacco  fac- 
tories and  costs  about  i  cent  per  pound. 

Tobacco  stems  or  leaves  may  be  cooked  or 
steeped  in  water  to  remove  the  nicotine  and  form  a 

38  xMarlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  127,  p.  16. 

Coquillet— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  12,  o.  s. 
3fl  Smith— N.  J.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  213,  p.  28. 


20  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

decoction.  Unfortunately,  the  nicotine  content  of 
tobacco  varies  with  the  variety,  soil,  method  of  cur- 
ing and  other  factors  ^"  and  it  is  therefore  impos- 
sible, without  chemical  analysis,  to  make  a  standard 
decoction.  In  general,  i  pound  of  stems  in  a  gallon 
of  water  brought  to  the  boiling  point  and  when 
drained  off  enough  water  added  to  make  a  full  gal- 
lon will  give  a  decoction  of  sufficient  strength  to 
kill  plant  lice.  It  is  best  to  rely  on  commercial  ex- 
tracts whose  nicotine  contents  are  known. 

Commercial  tobacco  extracts — Extracts  of 
tobacco  are  now  manufactured  commercially  and 
are  known  as  nicotine  sulphate.  Nicotine  sulphate 
appears  to  kill  insects  by  its  vapor. *^  The  most  fa- 
miliar brand  is  known  as  black-leaf-40.  In  this 
brand  the  nicotine  is  combined  with  an  acid  and 
hence  is  not  easily  volatile.  It  contains  40%  nico- 
tine and  is  readily  miscible  with  water.  It  is  usually 
used  at  the  rate  of  i  gallon  to  800  or  1000  gallons 
of  water.  It  can  be  combined  with  lime-sulphur, 
and  arsenate  of  lead  or  wnth  Bordeaux  mixture.*^ 
\^^hen  the  nicotine  sulphate  is  used  alone,  soap  is 
usually  added  at  the  rate  of  4  or  5  pounds  to  100 
gallons  of  water  to  increase  its  spreading  power  and 
to  liberate  the  nicotine. ^^  A  precipitate  is  some- 
times formed  when  nicotine  sulphate  is  added  to 
other  mixtures  especially  w^hen  in  a  concentrated 
form. 


Soaps 


44 


Ordinary  laundry  soap,  i  pound  to  5  or  6  gallons 
of  water  is  a  good  insecticide  for  the  garden,  lawn, 

40  Ellet  and  Grissom— Vir.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull  208. 

41  Mclndoo— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Jr.  Agr.  Res.,  Vol.  Vll,  p.  89. 

42  Headlee — New  Jersey  Expt.  Stat.,  Rept.  Ent.  for  1914,  p.  356. 

43  Moore  and  Graham— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Jr.  Agr.  Res.,  Vol.  X, 
p.  47. 

44  Marlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  127,  p.  15. 


CONTACT  INSECTICIDES  21 

and  household  plants.  Soft  soap  should  be  used 
twice  as  strong. 

Whale-oil  soap  is  more  commonly  used.  One 
should  always  procure  a  potash  soap.  It  costs  3 
to  6  cents  per  pound.  Use  i  pound  to  5  or  6  gal- 
lons of  water  for  summer  application.  In  winter, 
for  scale,  use  2  pounds  to  i  gallon.  Whale-oil  soaps 
vary  greatly  in  their  water  content  and  are  liable 
to  contain  free  potash  thus  causing  burning.  Fish- 
oil  soap  can  be  made  easily  and  cheaply  at  home. 
The  composition  may  be  known  and  the  free  potash 
avoided. 

Formula  for  home-made  fish-oil  soap 


45 


Caustic  soda 6  lbs.  or  i>^  lbs. 

Water    i>^  gals.        or  i>4  qts. 

Fish-oil    22  lbs.  sV^  lbs. 

Dissolve  the  caustic  soda  in  the  water.  After 
the  soda  is  dissolved,  add  the  fish-oil  gradually,  in 
the  meantime  stirring  the  mixture  thoroughly  and 
vigorously.  Complete  and  thorough  stirring  while 
the  oil  is  being  slowly  poured  into  the  water  and 
soda  is  absolutely  necessary.  Use  i  pound  to  6  or  7 
gallons  of  water. 

Fish-oil  may  be  purchased  of  N.  B.  Cook  Oil  Co., 
New  York. 

Oils 

Mineral  oils  are  much  used  for  contact  insecti- 
cides, usually  in  some  form  of  an  emulsion  that  is 
miscible  with  water.  They  are  particularly  val- 
uable against  aphids,  and  scale  insects. 

Kerosene  emulsion  "^^ — Kerosene  may  be  emul- 
sified with  milk  or  soap,  the  latter  being  now  most 
universally  used. 

Formula  for  kerosene  emulsion : 

45  Van  Slyke  &  Urner— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  257. 


22  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

Soap I  lb.  Soap   ,  >^,lb. 

Soft   water 2  gals,  or  Water    i  gal. 

Oil  .  .; 4  gals.        Oil 2  gals. 

The  soap  is  shaved  fine  and  heated  in  the  water 
until  dissolved.  The  oil  is  poured  in  and  while  the 
mixture  is  hot  it  is  briskly  agitated  until  a  white 
creamy  mixture  is  formed.  The  following  dilu- 
tions apply  to  first  formula : 

To  make  a  10%  solution  for  summer  spraying  add  34 
gals,  water. 

To  make  a  20%  solution  for  dormant  spraying  add  14 
gals,  water. 

To  make  a  25%  solution  for  dormant  spraying  add  10 
gals,  water. 

Crude  Petroleum  emulsion — It  is  made  ex- 
actly as  the  kerosene  emulsion.  The  grade  of  oil 
used  is  called  ''insecticide  oil."  It  should  have  an 
amber  color  and  its  specific  gravity  should  run  from 
43  to  45  degrees  Baume.  A  20  to  25  percent  solu- 
tion is  valuable  as  a  winter  spray. 

Oil  in  mechanical  emulsion  with  water  ^'^ — 
It  has  always  been  tedious  to  make  oil  emulsions 
and  to  obviate  the  labor,  pumps  were  designed  to 
mix  the  oil  mechanically  with  water.  These  piimps 
were  supposed  to  throw  any  per  cent  of  oil  in  water 
desired,  by  the  regulation  of  a  valve.  The  pumps 
proved  unreliable  and  severe  injuries  often  resulted 
from  using  them.     They  are  not  now  in  use. 

MisciBLE  oils  *^ — These  are  proprietary  mix- 
tures containing  mineral  oils  in  combination  with  a 
small  quantity  of  vegetable  oil  and  some  alkali  to 
make  them  miscible  with  water.  They  are  designed 
especially  for  the  control  of  scale  insects.  They 
mix  readily  with  water.  There  are  several  prom- 
ts, 47  Marlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  127,  p.  20. 
48  Marlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  127,  p.  23. 


CONTACT  INSECTICIDES  23 

inent  brands:     "Scalecide,"  ''Kil-O-Scale,"  "Tar- 
get-Brand," and  "Orchard  Brand." 

Home-made  miscible  oils  ^'* — Prof.  C.  L.  Penny 
has  developed  methods  of  preparing  miscible  oil  at 
home.  There  are  two  steps  in  making  a  miscible 
oil :  ( I )  preparing  the  emulsifier  or  soap  solu- 
tion, (2)  mixing  the  mineral  and  vegetable  oils 
with  the  emulsifier  to  produce  the  final  product, 
miscible  oil.  The  process  is  rather  long  and  la- 
borious. 

Carbolic  acid  emulsion 

This  emulsion  is  formed  by  dissolving  i  pound  of 
hard  soap  in  i  gallon  of  hot  water.  After  the  soap 
is  dissolved,  add  i  pint  of  crude  carbolic  acid. 
Then  agitate  the  mixture  until  an  emulsion  is 
formed.     For  use,  dilute  with  30  parts  of  water. 

Lime-sulphur  ^^ 

It  is  probably  the  best  and  most  universally  used 
insecticide  for  scale  insects.  It  is  also  practically 
a  specific  for  blister-mite  and  of  great  use  in  con- 
trolling the  pear  psylla,  certain  fungous  diseases, 
etc.  It  was  used  originally  as  a  sheep  dip  but  was 
first  tried  as  an  insecticide  in  California  in  1886. 
It  was  not  tried  in  the  East  until  1894  when  its  use 
did  not  seem  to  prove  successful.  Nothing  more 
was  done  with  the  lime-sulphur  wash  in  the  East 
until  1900  when  it  was  tried  again  and  gave  prom- 
ising results.  The  first  formulae  included  salt. 
Later  formulae  differed  somewhat  in  proportions, 
but  the  following  is  a  representative  one:  Quick- 
lime, 20  pounds ;  sulphur,  1 5  pounds ;  water,  50  gal- 
lons. 

49  Penny— Ann.  Rpt.  Penn.  State  Coll.,  1907-08,  p.  228. 

Phillips— Va.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  179. 
^'^  Quaintance — U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Yearbook  1906,  p.  429. 


24 


INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 


Place  lime  in  iron  kettle  and  slake  it  with  hot 
water.  Add  sulphur  and  more  water  and  boil  for 
one  hour.  Dilute  to  50  gallons,  strain,  and  use 
while  hot  if  possible. 

Concentrated  commercial  solutions  ^^ — 
Within  the  past  few  years  commercial  concentrated 
lime-sulphur  solutions  have  been  introduced  into 
this  state  and  have  been  used  by  many  fruit  grow- 
ers in  combating  certain  insect  pests  and  fungous 
diseases.  In  order  to  use  one  of  these  mixtures 
intelligently  and  effectively  it  becomes  necessary 
to  know  its  strength  or,  in  other  words,  its  degree 
of  concentration.  This  is  best  found  by  using  an 
instrument  known  as  a  Baume  hydrometer.  In 
testing  a  lime-sulphur  solution,  simply  pour  some  of 
the  clear  reddish  liquid  into  any  deep  receptacle, 
deeper  than  the  hydrometer  is  long,  and  when  nearly 
full,  gently  drop  the  instrument  into  the  solution 
and  wait  until  it  comes  to  rest.  Then  read  on  the 
hydrometer  the  degree  of  concentration,  which  will 


Reading  of 

hydrometer  or 

Amount 

of  water  to 

one  gallon  of  the 

degree  of 

lime-sulphur  solution 

concentration 

Degrees  Baume 

For  San  J 

ose  Scale 

For  Blister-mite 

Gals. 

Gals. 

Gals. 

Gals. 

Lime-Sulphur 

Water 

Lime-Sulphur 

Water 

25 

5 

7 

26 

sYa 

7/2 

27 

sVa 

8 

28 

6 

%V2 

29 

6V2 

9 

30 

m 

9/. 

31 

VA 

10 

32 

rA 

10^ 

?>?> 

8 

II 

34 

8^ 

11^ 

35 

83/4 

12 

51  Parrott  &  Schoene— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  320. 


CONTACT  INSECTICIDES  25 

be  the  one  just  at  the  surface  of  the  Hquid.  When 
the  degree  of  concentration  of  the  Hquid  is  known, 
the  proper  dikition  may  be  obtained  by  referring 
to  the  table  ^"  on  page  24. 

Home-made  concentrated  solution  ^^ — The 
concentrated  solution  can  be  made  at  home  with  a 
fair  degree  of  success.  The  lime  used  should  con- 
tain not  less  than  90%  calcium  oxid  and  not  over 


C7^ 


^/C    ....v^ 


ma2:nesium.     The  formula  is  as  follows: 


r  pure  lime 36  lbs. 

Quick  lime  \  95%  CaO 38  lbs. 

[90%  CaO 40  lbs. 

Sulphur  flour  or  flowers  of  sulphur 80  lbs. 

Water   , 50  gals. 


Place  lime  in  kettle  and  slake  with  10  gallons  of 
water.  While  lime  is  slaking  add  the  sulphur 
which  has  been  previously  mixed  with  water  into 
a  paste.  Stir  thoroughly  and  when  lime  is  entirely 
slaked  add  enough  water  to  make  about  60  gallons 
if  the  boiling  is  over  an  open  fire.  If  the  boiling  is 
with  live  steam  add  enough  water  to  make  50  gal- 
lons.    Boil  the  mixture  vigorously  for  one  hour. 

When  through,  strain;  store  in  tight  containers. 
Usually  lime-sulphur  will  not  freeze  down  to  5° 
above  ezro. 

For  San  Jose  scale  the  diluted  solution  should 
test  4.5  degrees  B. ;  for  the  blister-mite  about  3.5  B. ; 
and  for  summer  use  on  foliage  about  i  degree  B. 

The  concentrated  solutions  of  lime-sulphur  have 
shown  themselves  to  be  useful  against  San  Jose 
scale  in  the  summer  even  when  diluted  for  use  on 
foliage. ^^ 

The  self  boiled  lime-sulphur — This  has  been 

^2  Van   Slyke,   Bosworth,  and  Hedges~N.   Y.   State  Expt.   Stat., 
Bull.  329. 

53  Parrott  and  Schoene— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  330. 
s4  Stewart — Ann.  Rpt.  Penn.  State  Coll.  1910-11,  p.  268. 


26  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

found  to  be  of  use  in  checking  San  Jose  scale  ^^  in 
the  summer.  Place  8  pounds  of  quick  lime  in  a 
barrel  and  start  it  slaking-  with  a  small  amount  of 
cold  water.  Work  8  pounds  of  sulphur  through  a 
sieve  and  add  slowly  to  the  slaking  lime.  Add 
enough  cold  water  to  slake  the  lime  and  stir  con- 
stantly. As  soon  as  slaking  is  completed  (s  to  15 
min.)  fill  barrel  with  cold  water  (50  gallons). 
Peaches  and  plums  can  be  sprayed  in  foliage  with 
this  and  the  scale  checked  if  hit  when  young  are 
hatching. 

Dry  substitutes  for  liquid  lime-sulphur — 
Several  commercial  dry  preparations  are  on  the 
market  as  substitutes  for  the  liquid  lime-sulphur. 
Such  preparations  as  "spra  sulphur,"  soluble  sul- 
phur," ''dry  lime-sulphur"  and  ''B.  T.  S."  are  among 
those  offered.  Some  of  these  are  sodium-sulphur 
compounds,  some  barium-sulphur  compounds,  and 
some  lime-sulphur  compounds.  They  vary  widely 
in  the  amount  of  sulphur  contained  and  are  val- 
uable, other  things  being  equal,  according  to  the 
amount  of  sulphur  each  actually  contains.  The 
standard  liquid  lime-sulphur  solution  {^;^''  Baume) 
at  a  dilution  of  i  to  8  for  scale  contains  4.75  ounces 
of  sulphur  or  345%  efficient  sulphur  per  gallon. 
The  summer  dilution  for  scab  at  i  to  40  contains 
1.04  ounces  of  sulphur  or  .775%  efficient  sulphur 
per  gallon.  When  the  dry  compounds  are  used 
they  should  also  contain  an  equivalent  amount  of 
efficient  sulphur  in  order  to  control  the  scale  or 
scab  effectively.  Manufacturers  are  apt  to  recom- 
mend their  dry  materials  at  too  low  dilutions  to 
make  them  efficient. 

Moreover,  arsenicals  cannot  be  combined  with 
safety  with  those  dry  compounds  containing  so- 
dium or  potassium  sulphides. 

^^  Quaintance— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Yearbook  1908,  p.  277. 


FUMIGATING  SUBSTANCES  27 

FUMIGATING  SUBSTANCES 

Several  substances  are  used  to  fumigate  mills, 
greenhouses  and  dwellings  in  order  to  destroy  the 
insects  that  may  be  infesting  such  buildings. 

Carbon  bisulphide  ^^ — This  liquid  is  used  as  a 
fumigant  against  stored  grain  insects  especially  and 
sometimes  against  root-feeding  insects,  aphids, 
white  grubs,  ants,  etc. 

It  is  heavier  than  water;  readily  volatile;  and 
wdien  pure  it  has  not  an  unpleasant  odor.  The  gas 
from  the  liquid  is  heavier  than  air  and  is  suffocat- 
ing.    The  gas  is  also  inflammable  and  explosive. 

Use  2  pounds  of  the  liquid  ^^  to  1000  cubic  feet 
of  space  when  temperature  is  between  65  and  75 
degrees  F.  Granary  must  be  tight.  Peas,  beans, 
seed  corn,  etc.,  can  be  stored  in  barrels  and  treated. 
Under  ordinary  granary  conditions,  15  to  20 
pounds  to  1000  cu.  ft.  should  be  used. 

A  cheap  form  of  carbon  bisulphide  under  the 
trade  name  'Tuma,"  is  sold  by  Edward  R.  Taylor, 
Penn  Yan,  N.  Y. 

Hydrocyanic  acid  gas — It  is  a  very  poisonous 
gas  used  against  household  insects,  citrus  pests, 
stored  grain  insects,  and  for  the  fumigation  of 
nursery  stock. 

Formula  for  household  fumigation  for  100  cubic 
feet  space: 

Water 3  fluid  ozs. 

Sulphuric  acid   . . .  .1 i   fluid  oz. 

%  potassium  cyanide i  oz. 


wSodium  cyanide  has  almost  supplanted  potassium 
cyanide  for  fumigation  purposes  and  should  be 
used  according  to  the  following  formula  for  each 
100  cubic  feet  of  space: 


56  Hinds— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  145. 

57  Chittenden  and  others— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  96,  Part  III. 


28  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

Water 2  fluid  ozs. 

Sulphuric  acid    lYi.  fluid  ozs. 

Sodium  cyanide i  oz. 

For  house  fumigation  ^^  all  holes  in  rooms  should 
be  stopped  and  all  cracks  covered  with  strips  of 
newspaper  soaked  in  water. 

In  fumigating  trees  tents  are  used.^^  In  fumi- 
gating nursery  stock  for  scale  insects  a  special  room 
is  needed.^^ 

Formaldehyde  gas — This  is  primarily  a  germi- 
cide. It  has  been  shown  to  be  practically  useless 
as  an  insecticide.  , 

Tobacco  papers — Paper  soaked  in  tobacco  ex- 
tract is  sold  for  fumigation  purposes  in  green- 
houses. These  papers  will  burn  when  lighted  and 
are  much  more  convenient  to  use  in  houses  than 
tobacco  stems. 

HEAT^i 

AMthin  the  last  few  years  heat  has  been  used 
to  some  extent  in  mills  in  the  western  part  of  the 
United  States,  at  least,  to  kill  mill  insects.  Ac- 
cording to  Dean  and  Goodwin  heat  is  a  very  effi- 
cient and  satisfactory  agent  for  destroying  grain 
insects.  The  temperature  necessary  to  kill  stored 
grain  insects  ranges  from  118°  to  125°  F.  Felt 
has  shown  that  cockroaches  succumb  to  a  tempera- 
ture of  120°  F.  It  is  necessary  to  maintain  the 
heat  for  several  hours  to  allow  it  to  penetrate  all 

58  Howard  and  Popenoe — U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.   163. 
Herrick — Can.  Ent.,  Vol.  39,  p.  341. 

59  Morrill— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  76. 
Woglum— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  79. 
Woglum— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  90,  Parts  I  and  II. 

^°  Britton — Conn.    Expt.    Stat.,    Bull,    of    Immediate    Information 
No.  3. 

61  Goodwin — Ohio  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  234. 

Dean— Kan.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  189. 

Felt— 27th  Rept.  State  Ent.,  N.  Y. 


FUMIGATING  SUBSTANCES  29 

of  the  infested  parts  of  the  building.  There  is  no 
reason  why  heat  could  not  be  utilized  to  kill  house- 
hold insects  if  a  practicable  way  can  be  found  of 
developing  a  temperature  of  125°  F.  in  a  house. 

MISCELLANEOUS  MEANS  OF  FIGHTING  IN- 
SECTS 

Trap  lanterns — Lights  and  lanterns  have  been 
recommended  and  used  for  many  years  to  catch 
insects  active  at  night.  One  called  the  Hazeltine 
lantern  has  been  widely  advertised.  Several  ex- 
periments have  been  made  to  demonstrate  the  use- 
fulness or  uselessness  of  lanterns  for  catching  in- 
sects. Perhaps  the  most  extensive  one  was  made 
at  Cornell  during  1892.  From  May  20th  to  Oct. 
1st  13,000  insects  were  caught;  yy%  were  neutral, 
10  2-5%  beneficial,  12  3-5%  often  pests;  of  the 
pests,  84  to  93%  were  males;  of  the  beneficial,  80  to 
88%  were  females;  nymphs  and  larvae  were  not 
caught;  as  many  friends  as  foes  were  caught;  not 
one  codling  moth  taken. ^" 

In  an  all-summer  experiment  Dr.  Riley  never 
caught  a  codling  moth :  Prof.  Stedman  caught  only 
2  with  4  lanterns  running  100  nights. 

Gasoline  torches — An  ordinary  plumber's  ^^ 
torch  or  some  modification  of  it  has  been  proposed 
for  killing  insects,  especially  scale  insects,  on  their 
food  plants.  Several  trials  by  different  experimen- 
ters on  different  insects  indicate  that  these  torches 
are  hardly  practicable.  In  most  cases,  the  heat  suf- 
ficient to  kill  the  insects  injured  the  plants. 

Tree  tanglefoot — A  sticky  material  manufac- 
tured by  the  O.  W.  Thum  Co.,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich., 
at  about  30c  per  pound  is  the  same  or  similar  mate- 

62  SHngerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  202. 

63  Forbes— Illinois  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  89. 


30  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

rial  used  in  their  tanglefoot  fly  paper.  It  is  useful 
in  putting  about  the  trunks  of  trees  to  catch  canker- 
worm  moths,  caterpillars  of  the  tussock  moth,  etc. 
Treeleim — A  substance  manufactured  by  the 
Vreeland  Chemical  Co.,  which  is  used  for  the  same 
purpose  as  tanglefoot  and  is  said  not  to  ''glass"  over 
but  to  remain  fresh  and  sticky  a  long  time. 

SPRAYING 

History  of  spraying — The  current  worm  be- 
came injurious  about  i860  and  the  Col.  Pot.  beetle 
about  1865.  Hellebore  and  par  is  green  were  used 
for  these  two  pests,  and  this  suggested  the  use  of 
the  latter  for  other  insects.  Riley  suggested  its  use 
on  cotton  in  1872;  Le  Baron  suggested  its  use 
for  the  canker-worm  in  1872.  Cook  advised  spray- 
ing trees  in  1876;  E.  P.  Haynes,  in  1878,  sprayed 
trees  for  canker-worms  and  killed  the  codling  moth. 
These  were  the  beginnings.  Our  insect  foes  are 
increasing  and  we  must  spray. 

Some  principles  of  spraying — Spray  at  the 
right  time,  before  rains  for  most  fungous  diseases 
and  after  rains  for  insects  alone.  Watch  the  de- 
velopment of  buds,  blossoms,  fruit  and  weather  and 
spray  accordingly  and  not  by  dates.  Spray  thor- 
oughly. Every  leaf  and  fruit  should  be  coated. 
Use  a  nozzle,  in  general,  that  gives  a  fine  spray  and 
use  at  least  75  pounds  pressure,  but  better  150 
pounds. 

DUSTING 

Dust  for  control  of  insects  and  fungi  may  con- 
sist of  lime,  dry  Bordeaux  and  some  arsenical  or  it 
may  consist  of  a  mixture  of  sulphur  and  an  arsen- 
ical. These  dusts  were  introduced  to  lower  the 
cost  and  labor  of  spraying.  They  do  both  but  the 
ultimate  value  of  them  rests  on  their  efficiency. 


DUSTS  31 

Early  experiments  in  dusting-  trees  were  made 
with  dry  Bordeaux  and  an  arsenical.  In  this  mix- 
ture the  copper  was  the  essential  fungicide.  The 
following  is  a  formula  ^^  (Scott's),  for  this  dust: 

4  lbs.  copper  sulphate  in  4  gals,  water 
4  lbs.  lime  in  4  gals,  water 
60  lbs.  slaked  lime  dust 

Dissolve  the  sulphate  in  the  4  gallons  water  and 
slake  the  lime  in  the  4  gallons.  When  cool  pour 
together  and  allow  it  to  settle.  Decant  or  pour  off 
the  liquid,  put  the  wet  mass  in  a  strong-  bag  and 
squeeze  out  the  remaining  water.  Then  spread  out 
and  allow  to  dry  in  the  sun.  Pulverize  this  dry  ma- 
terial and  pass  it  through  a  sieve  with  80  meshes  to 
the  inch  and  then  mix  with  the  60  pounds  of  slaked 
lime.  For  Bird's  formula  see  Mo.  Bull.  60  or  Cor- 
nell Bull.  216. 

Comparative  early  experiments  indicated  that  six 
applications  of  the  dry  material  could  be  made  as 
cheaply  as  four  with  liquid.  The  dust  is  more  easily 
transported  about  an  orchard,  especially  if  the 
orchard  is  roug-h.  It  does  not  appear  to  have  any 
other  advantage,  accordino^  to  early  experiments. 

The  dust  did  not  control  fungous  diseases  as  well 
as  liquid  Bordeaux.  The  dust  proved  irritating  to 
workmen,  getting  into  their  lungs. 

Crandall  ^^  says  the  ''dust  spray  is  absolutely  in- 
effective as  a  preventive  of  injury  from  prevailing 
orchard  fungi,  and  that  it  is  considerably  less  effi- 
cient as  an  insect  remedy  than  is  the  liquid  method 
of  applying  arsenites." 

It  must  be  remembered  that  these  experiments 
were  made  with  a  Bordeaux  dust. 

64  Scott— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Far's'  Bull.  243,  p.  11. 
Craig— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat..  Bulls.  216,  245. 
Close — Delaware  Expt.  Stat.,  Bulls.  72  and  76. 

65  Crandall— Illinois  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  106. 


32  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

The  first  dusting-  experiments  in  which  dry  sul- 
])hur  was  used  to  replace  liquid  lime-sulphur  were 
made  by  Blodo-ett  in  igii/*^  These  experiments 
were  continued  durin^^  191 2  and  191 3.  The  results 
were  encoura.i^ing-  and  the  work  was  continued  dur- 
ing: 1914  bv  Reddick  and  Crosby/''^  The  materials 
recommended  wxre  finely  o^round  sulphur  90  pounds, 
and  powdered  arsenate  of  lead  10  pounds,  applying 
from  ij^  to  3  pounds  of  the  mixture  per  tree  at 
each  dusting-.  Later  recommendations  advise  85 
parts  of  sulphur  to  15  parts  of  powdered  arsenate 
of  lead.^*^  The  results  for  the  control  of  chewing 
insects  and  apple  scab  were  encouraging  and  fur- 
ther experiments  are  now  in  progress. 

PUMPS 

Atomizers,  hand  sprinklers,  buckets,  knapsacks, 
barrel,  power  sprayers.  The  essentials  of  a  good 
pump  are  brass  or  bronze  working  parts,  ball  valves, 
and  readily  accessible  parts. 

NOZZLES 

1.  The  first  nozzles  threw  a  nearly  round  solid 
stream,  like  a  garden  hose. 

2.  The  second  group  of  nozzles  consisted  of  those 
in  which  the  stream  having  passed  the  orifice 
proper  is  modified  by  some  obstruction  that  breaks 
it  or  scatters  it.  The  "climax,"  ''Ball,"  and 
''Lewis"  are  examples. 

3.  The  third  and  most  perfect  type  is  known  as 
the  rotary  or  eddy-chamber  nozzle.  This  is  repre- 
sented, typically,  by  the  Vermorel.  Later  modifica- 
tions are  the  "Friend"  and  "Alistry."  The  Vermo- 
rel is  of  American  origin  although  bearing  a  French 

60  Blodgett— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  340. 

67  Reddick  and  Crosby— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  354- 

68  Reddick  and  Crosby — Cornell  Univ.  Extension,  Bull.  i. 


REGULATORY  LAWS  33 

name.     Within  recent  years  so-called  spray  guns 
have  come  into  use. 

ACCESSORIES 


Tower — A  tower  ten  or  twelve  feet  high  is  a  ne- 
cessity for  good  work.  It  enables  one  to  get  above 
the  tree  and  spray  down,  which  is  especially  neces- 
sary in  case  of  codling  moth.  The  new  Cornell 
tower  has  many  advantages. 

Hose — There  should  be  plenty  of  hose  to  enable 
one  to  get  all  around  a  tree.  The  hose  should  be  of 
a  quality  to  withstand  150  to  200  pounds  pressure. 

BORDEAUX  MIXTURE  «^ 

This  is  a  fungicide  with  which  arsenicals  are 
often  combined: 

Bordeaux  mixture  is  made  by  mixing  a  dilute  solution  of 
copper  sulfate  (blue  vitriol)  with  a  dilute  milk  of  lime. 
The  mixture  may  be  made  of  different  strengths  by  using 
different  amounts  of  the  copper  sulfate  and  lime  to  a  given 
amount  of  v^ater.  A  mixture  made  of  3  pounds  of  copper 
sulfate  and  3  pounds  of  lime  to  50  gallons  of  water  is  indi- 
cated by  the  formula  3-3-50;  one  made  of  4  pounds  of 
copper  sulfate  and  4  pounds  of  lime  to  50  gallons  of  water, 
by  4-4-50 ;  one  made  of  5  pounds  of  copper  sulfate  and  5 
pounds  of  lime  to  50  gallons  of  water,  by  5-5-50. 

QUARANTINE  AND  INSECTICIDE  LAWS 

Nearly  all  of  the  States  in  the  United  States  have 
passed  laws  '^^  governing  the  shipments  of  plants 
and  plant  products  into  their  territories.  These 
are  designed,  of  course,  to  prevent  the  introduction 
of  injurious  insects  and  plant  diseases.  California 
has  in  some  instances  instituted  legal  restrictions 
governing  shipments   of  plants   between   counties 

69  Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  283,  Rev.  Ed.,  p.  466,  1915. 

70  Burgess— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Circ.  75. 


34  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

within  the  State.  Similar  restrictions  have  also 
been  imposed  in  some  of  the  Southern  States  to  pre- 
vent the  spread  of  the  Mexican  cotton-boll  weevil 
from  one  district  to  another  within  the  State. 
These  laws  of  the  different  States  are  intended  to 
meet  local  conditions  and  are  not  uniform  which 
results  in  much  confusion. 

The  National  Quarantine  Law — For  many 
years  there  was  in  this  country  an  agitation  for  a 
uniform,  national  quarantine  law  to  g-overn  the  im- 
portation of  nursery  stock  into  the  United  States 
and  to  regulate  the  shipment  of  such  stock  among 
the  States  themselves.  As  a  result  of  this  demand, 
Congress  passed  such  a  law/^  which  went  into  ef- 
fect the  first  day  of  October,  1912.  The  law  has 
two  purposes :  '( i )  to  regulate  the  importation  of 
nursery  stock,  other  plants,  and  plant  products  from 
foreign  countries  into  the  United  States  to  prevent 
the  introduction  of  injurious  insects  and  plant  dis- 
eases; (2)  to  establish  quarantines  against  any 
State,  territory,  or  district  of  the  United  States  or 
any  portion  thereof  to  prevent  the  distribution 
throughout  the  United  States  of  any  dangerous 
plant  diseases  or  injurious  insects. 

To  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  law,  a  Federal 
Horticultural  Board  consisting  of  five  members  was 
appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  from 
certain  Bureaus  and  offices  in  the  Department  of 
Agriculture. 

The  National  Insecticide  Law  —  Various 
States  have  undertaken  at  different  times  to  regu- 
late by  law  the  composition  of  certain  insecticides 
sold  within  their  boundaries.  Such  laws  have  not 
been  uniform  and  have  been,  on  the  whole,  more  or 
less  unsatisfactory.     In    1910  Congress  passed  a 

"1  An  Act  to  regulate  the  importation  of  nursery  stock,  etc.     Pub- 
lic Document— No.  275. 


REGULATORY  LAWS  35 

national  insecticide  law  that  went  into  effect  the 
first  day  of  January,  191 1.  Its  object  was  to  pre- 
vent the  manufacture,  sale,  or  transportation  of 
adulterated  or  misbranded  paris  greens,  lead  ar- 
senates, and  other  insecticides  and  fungicides.  In 
this  law  it  was  decreed  that  paris  green  shall  not 
contain  less  than  50  per  cent  arsenious  oxide  nor 
more  than  3J^  per  cent  water-soluble  arsenic  and 
that  lead  arsenate  shall  not  contain  more  than  50 
per  cent  water,  nor  less  than  I2j^  per  cent  arsenic 
oxide  (AS2O5)  nor  more  than  .75  per  cent,  water- 
soluble  arsenic.  It  was  also  decreed  that  other  in- 
secticides and  fungicides  should  not  fall  below  the 
proposed  standard  or  quality  under  which  they  were 
sold. 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  ORCHARD  TREES 
AND  FRUITS 

APPLE  PESTS 

The  codling  moth  ^  (Car.pocapsa  pomonella) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual  p.  241 

One  of  the  oldest  and  most  important  pests  on 
apples;  estimated  that  it  causes  a  yearly  loss  of 
$12,000,000  in  the  United  States  with  an  added 
$4,000,000  for  cost  of  spraying  trees  to  control  it. 

Eggs  laid  on  leaves  and  fruit  about  two  weeks 
after  petals  fall;  caterpillars  emerge  in  about  one 
week  and  60  to  80%  enter  the  young  fruit  through 
the  calyx  end;  they  live  in  the  apple  from  25  to  30 
days,  or  longer  in  many  instances,  and  when  full- 
grown  leave  the  fruit  through  a  hole  made  in  the 
side  of  the  apple ;  they  then  crawl  to  a  crevice  in  the 
bark  of  the  large  limbs  or  trunks  or  find  a  nook 
elsewhere  and  spin  a  cocoon ;  here,  some  of  the  lar- 
vae change  to  pupae  and  issue  as  moths  the  latter 
part  of  July  to  form  a  partial  second  brood  in  New 
York  State;  a  large  part  of  the  larvae,  however,  re- 
main under  the  bark  until  the  following  spring  and 
then  change  to  pupae  from  which,  in  about  twenty 
days,  the  adult  moths  issue.  All  of  the  larvae  of 
the  second  generation  remain  in  cocoons  under  the 
bark  until  spring. 

Control — Spray  at  once  after  three-fourths  of 
the  petals  have  fallen,  with  150  pounds  pressure, 
using  2j4  pounds  of  paste  arsenate  of  lead  to  50 

1  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  142. 
Qnaintance— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Yearbook  1907,  p.  435. 

36 


APPLE  INSECTS  37 

gallons  of  water ;  this  is  the  most  important  spray- 
ing and  should  be  done  thoroughly;  spray  from  a 
tower  into  the  calyx  ends  of  the  young  apples ;  spray 
again  in  3  or  4  weeks  and  cover  fruit  and  foliage 
with  a  fine  misty  spray ;  again  the  last  week  in  July 
for  second  brood. 

The  round-headed  borer"  (Saperda  Candida) 
Order — Coleoptera.     Manual  p.  573 

Next  after  the  codling  moth  the  worst  pest  on 
apples  in  the  United  States;  eggs  laid  in  June  and 
later,  in  incisions  made  in  the  bark;  the  eggs  hatch 
in  2  or  3  weeks  and  tunnel  in  the  sapwood;  they  live 
mostly  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  but  often  be- 
low the  earth,  especially  in  young  trees ;  at  end  of 
the  second  year  the  larvae  are  quite  large  and  are 
now  deeper  in  the  heartwood;  the  third  spring  the 
larvae  gnaw  to  the  bark  and  there  pupate ;  the  adult 
beetles  emerge  in  May  and  June,  the  insect  having 
taken  three  years  for  its  life  history;  in  West  Vir- 
ginia and  in  Arkansas  the  life  cycle  may  be  passed 
in  two  years ;  the  beetle  is  a  handsome  long-horned 
one,  about  an  inch  in  length  and  has  two  conspicu- 
ous white  lines  the  whole  length  of  its  body. 

Control — Give  orchards  clean  culture;  cut  out 
borers  with  a  sharp  instrument  like  a  chisel  and 
then  apply  some  wash,  for  instance,  concentrated 
lime-sulphur,  or  an  alkaline  wash  made  by  adding 
caustic  potash  to  soap  and  water  until  a  thick 
creamy  mixture  is  formed;  washes  should  be  ap- 
plied up  to  the  lower  limbs. 

Flat-headed  borer  ^  (ChrysobotJiris  femorata) 
Order — Coleoptera.     Manual  p.  549 

The  second  thoracic  segment  of  the  larva  is  wide, 

2  Becker— Ark.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  146. 

3  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Circ.  32. 


38  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

flat,  and  close  to  the  head,  hence  the  name ;  the  larva 
attacks  many  kinds  of  fruit-trees,  forest  and  shade- 
trees,  infesting  by  preference  those  diseased  or  dy- 
ing; it  inhabits  all  parts  of  the  trunk  from  ground 
to  branches;  eggs  are  laid  in  cracks  of  bark;  the 
larva  lives  just  beneath  the  bark  and  burrows  out 
broad,  flat,  irregular  channels  in  the  wood;  as  it 
grows  it  may  go  deeper  into  the  wood ;  it  matures  in 
one  year  and  the  beetles  emerge  in  May  and  June; 
the  adult  beetle  has  short  antennae,  is  of  a  dark 
metallic  brown  color,  and  about  one-half  inch  long. 
Control — Same  as  for  the  round-headed  borer. 

The  bud-moth^  (Tmefoccra  ocellana) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  241 

A  most  important  pest  on  the  apple  in  New  York. 
The  tiny  dark  brown  caterpillars  appear  early  in 
the  spring  and  begin  to  attack  the  bursting  buds; 
they  bore  into  the  buds  and  when  the  leaves  begin 
to  unfold  attack  those  also ;  they  continue  to  eat  the 
leaves  and  tie  them  together,  finally  pupating  with- 
in the  tangled  mass ;  the  moths  appear  in  June  and 
lay  their  small  inconspicuous  eggs  on  the  leaves; 
these  hatch  in  about  10  days  and  the  tiny  caterpil- 
lars feed  on  the  surfaces  of  the  leaves  eating  the 
epidermis  and  tissues  away,  leaving  a  network  of 
veins;  the  caterpillar  lives  mostly  in  a  tiny  silken 
tube  built  along  the  midrib  of  the  leaf;  in  Septem- 
ber the  caterpillars  migrate  from  the  leaves  to  the 
small  branches  where  they  build  snug  silken  cases, 
called  hibcrnaciila,  in  which  to  pass  the  winter; 
these  hibernacula  are  built  very  often  near  the  buds 
where  the  larvae  will  find  food  close  at  hand  in  the 
spring.     There  is  only  one  brood  a  year. 

Control — Add  arsenate  of  lead,  2^2  pounds  to 
50  gallons,  to  the  delayed  dormant  spray  just  as  the 

4  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  50. 


APPLE  INSECTS  39 

tips  of  the  buds  begin  to  show  green;  repeat  just 
before  blossoms  open ;  repeat  again  after  petals  fall 
which  will  also  do  for  the  first  codling  moth  spray. 
Combination  sprays  containing  nicotine  sulphate 
and  lime-sulphur  may  be  used. 

Cigar  case-bearer  ^  {Coleophora  fletcherella) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  half-grown  caterpillars  migrate  in  xA^ugust 
and  September  from  the  leaves  to  the  branches, 
where  they  securely  fasten  their  small  curved  cases 
preparatory  to  passing  the  winter;  in  the  early 
spring  the  caterpillars  in  their  cases  become  active, 
move  to  the  buds  and  begin  to  attack  them;  later 
they  attack  the  very  young  fruit  but  mostly  mine 
in  the  leaves  remaining  all  of  the  time  in  their 
cases ;  about  the  middle  of  June  they  pupate  and  the 
moths  appear  in  July;  the  very  small  moths  lay 
their  eggs  on  the  leaves;  these  hatch  in  about  2 
weeks  and  the  tiny  caterpillars  spend  the  remainder 
of  the  summer  mining  in  the  leaves. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead,  2j^ 
pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water  just  as  the  tips  of  the 
buds  begin  to  show  green ;  again  before  the  blossoms 
open;  and  again  after  petals  fall.  This  is  the  same 
as  for  the  bud-moth. 

Pistol  case-bearer^  {Coleophora  malivorella) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Its  case  is  shaped  like  a  pistol  and  its  life  history 
is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  cigar  case-bearer;  the 
larva,  however,  does  not  mine  in  the  leaves  but  eats 
the  surfaces  of  them. 

Control — Same  as  for  cigar  case-bearer. 

5  Slingerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  93. 

6  Slingerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  124.  , 


40  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

The  apple-crain  aphid'    (Rhopalosiphinu 

pniJiifoUac) 

Order — Hemiptera 

This  a[)hid  is  a  European  insect  and  has  been 
observed  on  more  than  twenty-two  plants — apple, 
pear,  quince,  plum,  rye,  oats,  wheat,  et  al. ;  it  is  one 
of  the  early  aphids  appearing  in  the  spring  on  apple 
buds  but  usually  leaves  the  apple  without  doing 
much  harm;  it  is  light  green  in  color  with  a  dark 
line  down  the  middle  of  its  back. 

Passes  winter  as  dark  eggs  on  branches;  these 
hatch  in  spring;  may  be  several  generations  on 
apple  leaves;  the  winged  generation  flies  to  grasses 
where  many  generations  are  produced  during  the 
summer;  many  live  on  wheat  in  fall;  the  winged 
females  finally  fly  back  to  the  apple  tree  in  the  fall 
and  produce  a  generation  of  wingless  egg-laying 
females  which  lay  the  winter  eggs  on  the  l3ark. 

Control — See  green  apple  aphid. 

The  rosy  apple  aphid  ^    {Aphis  sorhi-A.  mali- 

foliac) 
Order — Hemiptera 

The  rosy  aphid  is  larger  than  the  grain  aphid  and 
is  usually  of  a  rosy  color  although  individuals  may 
be  tan,  grey  or  blackish,  while  the  body  is  covered 
with  a  whitish  powder ;  the  body  is  noticeably  glob- 
ular; this  aphid  is  often  very  injurious. 

It  winters  as  eggs  upon  the  trunk  and  branches 
of  the  apple  tree ;  the  eggs  hatch  in  spring  and  prob- 
ably three  and  perhaps  more  (depending  on  lati- 
tude) generations  are  produced  on  the  apple  tree; 
in  late  June  winged  individuals  begin  to  leave  the 

7  Baker   and  Turner— U.    S.   Dept.  Agr.,   Jr.   Agr.   Res.,   Vol.    i8, 
p.  311. 

Davis— U.  S.  Bii.  Ent.,  Bull.  ii2. 
^  Quaintance — U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  8i. 

Matheson — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Memoir  34. 


APPLE  INSECTS  41 

apple  tree  and  go  to  the  broad-leaved  and  narrow- 
leaved  plantains  where  the  summer  is  spent;  in  the 
fall  the  return  migrants  come  back  to  the  apple 
where  egg-laying  females  are  produced  and  the 
eggs  are  laid,  thus  completing  the  cycle. 
Control — See  the  green  apple  aphid. 

The  green  apple  aphid '^   (Aphis  pomi-Apliis 

mail) 
Order — Hemiptera 

The  green  apple  aphid  resembles  the  grain  aphid 
but  is  darker  green  and  lacks  the  dark  line  down 
the  back ;  it  has  not  been  recognized  as  seriously  in- 
jurious in  this  country  until  of  comparatively  re- 
cent years;  it  is  now  considered  the  most  injurious 
species;  it  winters  as  eggs  on  the  trees  and  spends 
the  whole  year  on  the  apple,  not  having  alternate 
food-plants  like  the  two  preceding-  species;  the 
aphids  curl  the  leaves,  stunt  the  new  growth  and 
often  stunt  and  deform  the  apples. 

Control — The  eggs  of  these  aphids,  although 
there  is  some  individual  variation,  those  of  the 
grain  aphid  hatching  earliest,  hatch  early  in  the 
spring,  about  the  time  the  flower  buds  begin  to  swell 
and  break  and  the  leaves  show  green  at  the  tips. 
The  young  aphids  cluster  on  the  outside  of  the  buds 
where  they  are  all  exposed  to  contact  with  spray 
material.  Then  is  the  time  to  kill  them.  Later 
they  get  in  between  the  leaves  of  the  buds  and  in 
rolled  leaves  and  cannot  be  hit  easily  or  not  at  all. 

The  safest  and  most  efficient  material  with  which 
to  kill  the  aphids  at  this  time  is  nicotine  sulphate 
alone,  Y^  oi  2i  pint  to  100  gallons  of  water  with  5 
pounds  of  soap  added,  or  combined  with  lime-sul- 

9  Parrott,  Hodgkiss,  and  Lathrop — N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bulls. 
415  and  431. 

Hodgkiss— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  461. 


42  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

phur  solution  at  the  same  rate  l)ut  without  the  soap. 
Arsenate  of  lead  may  be  added  if  desired. 

In  case  of  the  green  apple  aphid  especially  it 
may  be  necessary  to  make  later  applications  of  the 
nicotine  sulphate  owing-  to  repeated  infestations  in 
June  and  July.  It  has  proven  advantageous  at  this 
time  to  add  rather  large  quantities  of  quick  lime  or 
hydrated  lime  ^^  to  the  nicotine  sulphate  and  water, 
leaving  out  the  soap.  The  mixture  of  nicotine  sul- 
phate and  lime  seems  to  have  a  deterrent  effect  on 
the  aphids  in  addition  to  its  killing  properties. 

The  fall  canker-worm   (Alsophila  pometaria) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  2y6 

Moths  emerge  in  late  fall  and  the  wingless  fe- 
males lay  their  eggs  in  clusters  on  bark;  eggs  rest 
over  winter  and  hatch  in  early  May;  larvse  which 
are  loopers  and  have  only  3  pairs  of  abdominal  legs 
feed  for  a  month  and  in  June  and  July  go  into  the 
ground  to  change  to  pup?e  in  dense  cocoons,  and  re- 
main here  until  fall  when  the  moths  appear  again; 
one  brood  a  year. 

The  SPRING  CANKER-WORM  ^^  (Paleacrtta  vernata) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  275 

Moths  emerge  in  March  and  April  and  lay  their 
eggs  in  small  clusters  in  crevices  of  the  bark ;  cater- 
pillars which  are  loopers  and  have  only  2  pairs  of 
abdominal  legs  hatch  in  May  and  in  June  and  July 
go  into  the  ground  where  they  remain  as  pupae 
until  the  next  spring;  one  brood  a  year;  the  female 
is  gray  and  wingless  and  bears  two  transverse  rows 
of  short  spines  on  the  dorsal  side  of  each  of  the 
first  seven  segments  of  her  abdomen;  the  spring 

10  Hodgkiss— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  461. 

11  Qiiaintance— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  68,  Pt.  IL 


APPLE  INSECTS  43 

canker-worm  is  usually  the  common  one  in  New 
York. 

Control — Caterpillars  quite  resistant  to  poisons, 
yet  arsenate  of  lead,  6  to  10  pounds  to  100  gallons 
of  water  will  control  them;  also  hands  of  sticky 
material,  like  tar,  tang-lefoot  or  printers'  ink  to  pre- 
vent the  females  from  climbing  trees  to  lay  eggs; 
bands  of  fluffy  cotton  batting  will  serve;  apply  in 
October  for  fall  canker-worm  and  in  early  spring 
for  spring  canker-worm ;  also  plow  and  cultivate  in 
August  or  September  to  destroy  the  pupc^e  in  the  soil. 

The  apple  tent-caterpillar  ^"    (Malacosoma 

americana) 

Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  360 

Passes    winter    as    eggs    laid    in    rings    around 

branches;  eggs  hatch  as  buds  begin  to  burst  and 

larvae  build  tents  in  crotches  of  branches ;  in  4  to  6 

weeks   the   caterpillars   become   grown   and   make 

dense  cocoons  in  secluded  places ;  in  about  2  weeks 

the  moths  appear  and  deposit  eggs  during  last  of 

June  or  first  of  July. 

Control — Collect  and  burn  egg  masses;  school 
children  are  often  enlisted  in  the  work  of  collecting 
and  destroying  the  egg  masses;  spray  infested  trees 
with  arsenate  of  lead  2j4  pounds  to  50  gallons  of 
water  just  as  the  buds  begin  to  open;  repeat  in  a 
week  if  necessary;  destroy  wild  cherry  and  seedling 
apple  trees  along  the  fence  rows.  Burn  out  with 
gasoline  torch.     Cut  out  tents  and  burn. 

The  forest  tent-caterpillar  ^^  (Malacosoma 
dis  stria) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  362 
Life  history  is  similar  to  former  species;  larvae 
do  not  build  tent. 

12  Quaintance— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  98. 

13  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  170. 


44  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

Control — In  addition  to  above,  use  the  jarring 
method. 

White-marked  tussock  moth  ^*  (Hemcrocampa 

I  c  II  CO  stigma') 

Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  310 

Lays  eggs  in  July  on  cocoons  and  covers  them 
with  a  white  frothy  substance;  remain  here  all 
winter  and  hatch  latter  part  of  May;  the  cater- 
pillar has  two  long  pencils  of  hairs  just  back  of  the 
head,  a  single  similar  tuft  on  the  posterior  end  of 
the  body,  and  four  tufts  of  short  white  hairs  on  the 
back;  they  feed  on  leaves  and  fruit  for  four  weeks 
and  then  pupate  in  cocoons  for  10  to  14  days;  the 
adult  wingless  female  deposits  eggs  on  cocoons; 
male  is  winged. 

Apple,  pear,  quince,  plum,  elm,  maple  and  other 
deciduous  trees  are  attacked. 

Control — Collect  tgg  clusters;  spray  with  ar- 
senate of  lead  3  pounds  to  50  gallons;  jar  trees  for 
caterpillars ;  band  trees  for  larvae. 

•  The  apple  maggot  ^^  (RJiagoIcfis  pomoncUa) 
Order — Diptera 
The  flies  begin  to  emerge  in  the  latter  part  of 
June  and  continue  through  July  and  August. 
Within  10  days  to  2  weeks  the  females  thrust  their 
eggs  just  beneath  the  skin  of  the  apple,  causing  a 
dimple  at  each  insertion.  The  eggs  hatch  in  2  to  6 
days  and  the  white  maggots  tunnel  through  the 
apple  causing  it  to  drop  and  decay.  In  about  30 
days  in  soft  apples  the  maggots  become  grown  and 
then  go  into  the  soil  from  i  to  3  inches  and  pupate, 
where  they  usually  remain  until  the  next  spring. 
There  may,  however,  be  a  partial  second  brood  in 

14  Schoene— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  312. 

15  Illingworth — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  324. 
Herrick — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  402. 


APPLE  INSECTS  45 

some  seasons,  while  on  the  other  hand  the  puparia 
may  remain  in  the  soil  over  another  winter,  thus 
making  a  two-year  life  cycle. 

Control — Spray  last  days  of  June  or  first  week 
of  July  with  arsenate  of  lead,  5  pounds  to  100  gal- 
lons of  water,  and  repeat  in  two  wxeks.  Clean  cul- 
ture of  orchards  appears  to  aid  in  the  fight. 

The  ribbed  cocoon  maker  ^^  (Bucailatrix 

pomifolieUa) 

Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  253 

In  the  middle  of  September  larvae  creep  to 
branches  and  make  white,  ribbed,  winter  cases  and 
change  to  pupae ;  in  May  the  moths  appear  and  soon 
lay  their  eggs  on  under  sides  of  leaves ;  they  hatch 
in  a  week  or  10  days  and  mine  into  leaves ;  they  feed 
for  8  or  10  days  and  then  emerge  from  the  leaf  and 
make  a  molting  cocoon,  molt  again  in  5  or  6  days, 
then  feed  again  for  a  week  and  then  spin  true 
cocoons;  moths  appear  in  from  i  to  2  weeks  and 
lay  eggs  for  a  second  brood  about  the  first  week  of 
August. 

Control — Spray  in  March  with  lime-sulphur  at 
scale  strengths ;  spray  in  June  with  arsenate  of  lead, 
2j'4  pounds  to  50  gallons. 

Oyster-shell  bark  louse^'^  {Lcpidosaphcs  ulmi) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  insect  passes  winter  as  whitish  eggs  under- 
neath the  brown,  elongated,  oyster-shell  like  scales 
on  the  bark  of  the  tree;  eggs  hatch  in  May  and 
June  and  the  young  soon  settle  and  secrete  their 
own  scale;  probably  one  generation  a  year  in  New 
York. 

Control — Spraying  with  lime-sulphur  at  scale 

16  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.   Stat.,  Bull.  214. 

17  Quaintance— U.  S.  Fu.  Ent.,  Circ.  121. 


46  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

strengths  (i  to  8)  for  3  or  4  successive  seasons 
usually  holds  this  pest  in  check.  Spray  for  young 
as  they  hatch  in  May  or  June  with  nicotine  sulphate, 
^  pint  to  100  gallons  water  with  4  pounds  of  soap 
added  or  with  10%  kerosene  emulsion. 

The  woolly  aphid  ^^  {Eriosoma  lanigcra) 
Order — Hemiptera.     Manual,  p.  162 

It  is  probably  of  American  origin  and  became 
noticeable  here  about  1850;  most  serious  on  the 
apple;  individuals  occur  on  two  different  parts  of 
the  tree;  (i)  the  branches,  (2)  the  roots.  The  air- 
living  individuals  cause  scars  on  limbs  but  are  not 
considered  to  be  seriously  injurious;  the  root  aphids 
are  very  injurious  to  young  apple  trees  when  pres- 
ent on  the  roots ;  they  cause  swellings  on  roots  and 
the  roots  finally  decay  and  trees  die;  both  kinds  of 
individuals  secrete  a  white  cottony  secretion,  hence 
the  name,  w^oolly  aphid.  This  pest  of  the  apple  is 
more  serious  farther  south  than  in  New  York. 

The  woolly  aphid  has  a  complicated  life  history. 
Some  of  the  winged  forms  on  apple  in  autumn  fly 
to  elm  trees  w^here  the  egg-laying  females  are  pro- 
duced, each  of  which  lays  an  tgg  in  a  crevice  of  the 
bark  where  it  passes  the  winter  and  hatches  in  the 
spring.  The  aphids  multiply  on  the  elm  and  cause 
the  leaves  to  cud.  Finally  some  of  the  winged 
forms  may  fly  back  to  the  apple.  In  the  meantime 
the  aphid  has  maintained  its  foothold  on  the  apple 
tree. 

Control — The  trunk  aphids  may  be  controlled 
with  kerosene  emulsion  15%.  The  root  aphids  may 
be  controlled  with  15%  kerosene  emulsion.  The 
earth  should  be  removed  about  each  tree  to  the 
depth  of  3  or  4  inches  over  a  circle  with  a  diameter 
of  4  feet ;  then  soak  the  soil  with  the  emulsion  and 

18  Marlatt— U.  S.  Bn.  Ent.,  Circ.  20. 


APPLE  INSECTS  47 

hoe  dirt  back;  do  this  in  late  spring  when  tree  is  in 
leaf. 

Dark  Redbug  ^^  (Hctcrocordylus  malimis) 

Light  Redbug  {Lygidca  mendax) 

Order — Hemiptera 

There  are  two  species  of  redbiig-s,  the  dark  red- 
bug  and  the  light  redbug,  that  injure  the  fruit  by 
puncturing  it,  which  causes  it  to  fall  off  or  become 
knotty;  the  life  histories  of  both  are  quite  similar; 
the  eggs  of  both  are  laid  during  late  June  or  early 
July  in  the  bark  of  smaller  branches.  They  hatch 
the  next  spring,  those  of  the  dark  redbug  soon  after 
the  leaves  of  the  fruit  buds  open  and  those  of  the 
light  redbug  from  7  to  10  days  later.  The  nymphs 
pass  through  five  stages  and  become  mature  in 
about  one  month.     There  is  one  generation  a  year. 

Control — Spray  for  the  nymphs  with  nicotine 
sulphate,  i  pint  to  100  gallons  of  water;  the  effi- 
ciency will  be  increased  by  adding  4  pounds  of  soap 
to  every  100  gallons;  spray  just  before  blossoms 
open  and  after  they  fall,  especially  in  case  of  the 
light  redbug.  The  tobacco  may  be  added  to  lime- 
sulphur  and  arsenate  of  lead.  The  calyx  spray  of 
arsenate  of  lead,  lime-sulphur  and  nicotine  has  ap- 
parently, in  some  instances,  controlled  the  light  red- 
bug. 

Apple-seed  chalcis -^    {Synfoniaspis  drupanmi) 
Order — Hymenoptera 

The  adult  wasp-like  fly  punctures  the  fruit  to 
deposit  her  eggs  in  the  seed  and  this  causes  the  fruit 
to  become  knotty;  the  ego;  is  deposited  inside  of  an 
apple  seed  in  June;  it  hatches  and  the  grub  feeds 
on  the  soft  kernel  until  September;  it  then  hiber- 


1^  Crosby — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  291. 
§0  Crosby— Cornell  Univ,  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  265. 


48  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

nates  in  the  hollow  seed  shell  until  spring,  when  the 
adults  appear ;  particularly  injurious  to  early  apples. 
Control — Since  the  grub  lives  over  winter  in  the 
seeds,  the  apples  under  the  tree  should  all  be  col- 
lected and  destroyed. 

The  GREEN  FRUIT  WORMS  "^  (Xyliiia  antennata) 

(Xylina  laticincrea) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

In  some  seasons  the  larvae  of  several  species  of 
noctuid  moths  attack  apples  and  eat  large  holes  in 
the  sides  of  the  fruit;  these  larvae  have  become 
known  as  the  green  fruit  worms ;  the  larvae  appear 
in  great  numbers  in  May  and  June  and  do  their 
damage,  then  go  into  the  soil  to  the  depth  of  i  to  3 
inches  where  they  make  an  earthen  cell  and  spin  a 
thin  cocoon  and  change  to  pupae ;  there  they  remain 
until  September,  when  the  moths  appear  and  pass 
the  winter  in  sheltered  nooks;  some  of  the  pupas 
remain  all  winter  in  the  soil.  The  moths  come 
from  their  hibernating  quarters  or  from  the  soil  in 
March  and  April  and  lay  their  nearly  globular, 
ridged  eggs  singly  on  the  apple  and  pear  branches. 
The  larvae  are  not  noticed  until  they  become  half 
grown  and  are  then  hard  to  kill. 

Control — If  the  trees  are  known  to  be  infested 
they  should  be  sprayed  just  as  the  tips  of  the  buds 
show  green  and  again  just  before  the  blossoms  open 
with  arsenate  of  lead,  3  pounds  to  50  gallons  of 
water  or  lime-sulphur. 

The  PEAR-LEAF  BLISTER-MITE""  {Eviopkycs  pyri) 
Order — Acarina 
This  mite  has  become  a  serious  pest  of  apple  trees 
in  New  York  State  within  the  last  few  years;  it  is 
fully  discussed  under  pear  pests. 

21  SUngerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.   123. 

22  — Parrott— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  283. 


APPLE  INSECTS  49 

Fruit-tree  leaf-roller^^  (Archips  argyrospila) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Eggs  laid  in  small  patches  on  branches  of  trees 
in  June;  larvae  hatch  next  spring  and  attack  buds 
and  roll  leaves  together  and  eat  into  sides  of  fruit ; 
pupate  in  rolled  leaves  with  a  flimsy  cocoon ;  moths 
appear  in  June  and  July  and  lay  eggs  in  great  num- 
bers on  the  branches  where  they  remain  until  the 
following  spring.  This  insect  is  exceedingly  in- 
jurious when  once  established  in  an  orchard.  It 
attacks  apples,  pears,  cherries,  and  other  fruits. 

Control — Spray  the  trees  infested  with  eggs 
just  before  the  buds  start  with  a  miscible  oil,^  i  gal- 
lon to  i.S  gallons  of  water.  Follow  this  with  ar- 
senate of  lead,  3  pounds  to  50  gallons  just  as  soon 
as  the  tips  of  the  buds  show  green,  and  again  before 
the  blossoms  open.  The  spraying  should  be  done 
thoroughly. 

Apple  curculio -^  (AntJwiiomns  quadrigibbus) 
Order — Coleoptera 

Mainly  injurious  in  Central  States;  eggs  laid  in 
fruit  while  small;  larvae  feed  on  tissues  of  apple 
for  three  weeks;  pupae  formed  in  apple  and  after 
about  one  week  adult  beetles  emerge. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead,  3  pounds 
to  50  gallons  just  after  petals  fall  and  repeat  in 
ten  days;  clean  up  old  fences  and  hedgerows  near 
orchard. 

Trumpet  leaf-miner  ^^  (Tischeria  malifoUella) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  249 

Fggs  laid  on  leaves ;  larvae  gnaw  through  tgg  di- 

23  Herrick  and  Leiby— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  2,^7- 

24  Crandall— Illinois  Expt.   Stat.,   Bull.  98. 

23  Quaintance— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent..  Bull.  68,  Pt.  III. 
Jarvis— Conn.  (Storrs)  Bull.  45. 


50  INSECTS  OF  ECONO^IIC  IMPORTANCE 

rectly  into  the  leaf  and  begin  making  their  trumpet- 
shaped  mines  in  the  leaves ;  four  generations  in  lat- 
itude of  A\'ashington,  probably  two  here;  larvae  of 
last  generation  pass  winter  in  mines  in  fallen  leaves 
and  pupate  in  spring. 

Control — Plow  the  leaves  under  or  rake  them 
and  burn;  spray  infested  leaves  during  June  with 
nicotine  sulphate,  i  pint  to  lOO  gallons  of  water 
with  4  pounds  of  soap  added. 

Fall  web-worm  ^^    (Hyplianfria  fcxfor) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  321 

Eggs  laid  during  June  or  July  in  clusters  on 
leaves;  larv?e  build  web  nests  all  over  trees;  they 
pupate  in  September  in  flimsy  cocoons  hid  away  in 
cracks  and  crevices ;  in  these  the  pup?e  pass  the  win- 
ter, the  moths  appearing  in  May  or  June;  farther 
south  there  are  two  broods. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead,  3  pounds 
to  50  gallons  of  water  as  soon  as  the  young  cater- 
pillars are  seen ;  collect  cocoons  during  winter. 

The  red-humped  apple-worm  -^  {Schiziira 

concinna) 

Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  267 

Eggs  laid  in  large  white  clusters  on  leaves  in 
June  and  July ;  larvae  feed  in  colonies  on  a  branch ; 
they  go  to  the  base  of  the  tree  and  build  parchment- 
like cocoons  in  which  they  pass  the  winter;  they 
change  to  pupae  in  the  spring;  the  moths  emerge  in 
June,  July  and  August. 

Control — Burn  caterpillars  with  rag  torch  or 
spray  with  arsenate  of  lead,  3  pounds  to  50  gallons. 
Make  the  first  application  early  in  July  and  second 
about  two  weeks  thereafter. 

26  Sanderson — New  Hampshire  Expt.   Stat.,  Bull.   13Q. 
?7  Sanderson — New  Hampshire  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  139. 


APPLE  INSECTS  51 

Yellow-necked  caterpillars  ^^  (Datana 

ministra) 

Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  265 

Eggs  laid  in  large  white  clusters  in  June  and 

July;  larvae  are  gregarious,  and  often  occur  in  large 

clusters  on  single  branches;  pupate  in  the  earth  in 

August  and  September,  where  they  remain  until  the 

following  spring;  moths  appear  in  June  and  July. 

^  Control — Same  as  for  the  red-humped  cater- 
pillars. 

The  palmer-worm^'^  (Ypsolophus  Ugiilclliis) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

This  is  an  insect  that  appears  occasionally  in  in- 
jurious numbers;  the  larvae  destroy  foliage  and  eat 
into  fruit  during  June;  moths  appear  first  part  of 
July  and  live  over  winter  until  following  spring; 
eggs  laid  mostly  on  undersides  of  leaves. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead,  2^ 
pounds  to  50  gallons  when  petals  have  three-fourths 
dropped  and  again  in  three  weeks. 

Buffalo  tree-hopper^^  {Ceresa  bubalus) 
Order — Hemiptera 

Eggs  laid  most  commonly  in  early  September  in 
slits  made  in  the  bark  of  branches;  characteristic 
oval  scars  are  left;  eggs  hatch  in  April  or  early 
May;  the  nymphs  feed  on  succulent  weeds  in 
orchard;  branches  of  affected  trees  become  weak- 
ened and  break  off. 

Control — Clean  culture  in  and  about  the  or- 
chard to  starve  nymphs ;  careful  and  judicious  prun- 
ing of  infested  branches. 

The  plum  curculio — An  important  enemy  to 
the  apple.     It  causes  knotty,  scarred  fruit  and  is 

2s  Sanderson — New  Hampshire  Expt.   Stat,  Bull.   139. 

29  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  187. 

30  Hodgkiss— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Tech.  Bull.  17. 


52  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

apparently  increasino-  as  a  pest  to  the  apple.     See 
plum  pests  for  full  discussion. 

OTHER  IxNSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  APPLE 

The  apple  weevil  {Pseudanthonojnits  cratccgi). 

The  fringed-wing  apple  bud-moth  (Holcocera 
maligemmcUa) . 

The  apple  bud-worm  {Exartcma  malamim) . 

The  oblique  banded  leaf -roller  {A  r  chips  rosace- 
ana). 

The  leaf-crumpler  {Mineola  indigcnclla). 

The  lime-tree  span-worm  (Eraniiis  filiaria). 

Bruce's  measuring-worm  (RacJiela  brnceata). 

The  gypsy  moth  (PorfJicfria  dispar). 

The  brown-tail  moth  (Euproctis  chrysorrhoca) . 

The  apple  leaf  hopper  (Empoasca  mali). 

The  bronze  apple-tree  weevil  (Magdalis  cuncs- 
cens). 

PLUM  PESTS 

At  least  50  species  of  insects  may  feed  upon  the 
plum  tree  and  its  fruit. 

The  plum  curculio  ^^  (Conotrachclus  nenuphar) 
Order — Coleoptera.     Manual,  p.  593 

The  adults  hibernate  in  protected  places  along 
hedgerow^s,  fences,  etc.,  and  appear  in  spring;  they 
feed  upon  fruit,  making  shallow  circular  feeding 
punctures;  they  soon  begin  depositing  eggs  in  the 
fruit,  making  a  crescent-shaped  cut  beneath  each 
egg;  eggs  hatch  in  4  to  10  days  and  live  in  the  fruit 
for  about  14  days;  the  fruit  usually  falls  to  the 
ground  and  the  grubs  enter  the  soil  from  i  to  3 
inches  and  pupate;  in  July  and  August  the  adults' 

31  Crandall— Illinois  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  98. 

Quaintance  and  Jenne — U.  S.  P>ii.  Ent.,  Bull.  103. 


PLUM  INSECTS  53 

appear  and  eat  holes  in  the  sides  of  apples,  at  least; 
these  holes  are  usually  surrounded  by  a  dark  ring 
of  skin ;  beetles  finally  hibernate.  This  pest  attacks 
apples,  cherries,  plums,  pears. 

Control — Remove  all  fences,  hedgerows,  stone 
walls,  etc.,  along  sides  of  orchard;  sunlight  is  fatal 
to  larvae,  hence  judicious  pruning  of  trees  and  clean 
cultivation  useful;  cultivate  orchards  in  July  and 
August  to  kill  pup?e;  spray  with  arsenate  of  lead, 
5  pounds  to  lOO  gallons  of  water  just  after  petals 
fall  and  again  ten  days  later. 

Plum  scale  ^^  (Lccanhtm  corni) 
Order — Hemiptera 

Eggs  are  laid  in  May  and  June  and  hatch  mainly 
in  July ;  the  young  insects  live  on  the  leaves  during 
the  summer  but  migrate  to  the  branches  in  the  fall 
before  the  leaves  drop ;  the  young  hibernate  here, 
but  in  the  spring  usually  move  to  the  smaller 
branches  where  they  complete  their  growth  by  the 
latter  part  of  May. 

Control — Spray  young  scales  about  July  ist 
with  io%  kerosene  emulsion  or  nicotine  sulphate, 
I  pint  to  lOO  gallons  of  water  with  4  pounds  of  soap 
added;  spray  young  scales  on  branches  just  before 
buds  burst  with  a  miscible  oil,  i  gallon  to  15  gallons 
water. 

The  plum  gouger  •'^'^^  (AufJwnomus  scttfellaris) 
Order — Coleoptera 

Occurs  particularly  in  the  Northern  Mississippi 
Valley.  Adults  hibernate  over  winter  and  appear 
in  early  spring,  when  they  feed  on  buds  and  leaves ; 
later  make  feeding  punctures  in  fruit  and  finally 
deposit  eggs  in  cavities  dug  in  fruit ;  larvae  bore  into 

32  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  83. 

33  Cooley— Mon.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull,  62. 


54  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

pit  and  feed  on  kernel ;  chang-e  to  pupce  in  pits  and 
beetles  emerge  in  August  and  September ;  principal 
injury  caused  by  punctures  made  by  beetles  in  feed- 
ing and  egg-laying. 

Control — Probably  thorough  spraying  with  ar- 
senate of  lead  will  be  effective.  The  first  appli- 
cation should  be  made  just  before  the  blossoms 
open. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  PLUM 

Plum  leaf-miner  (Nepticula  sUngerlandeUa). 

American  plum-borer  {Eiii^ophera  seniifuner- 
ralis). 

Plum  web-splnni-ng  sawfly  {Neiirofoma  incon- 
s  pic  It  a). 

Plum  plant-louse  {MyBus  mahaleh). 

Rusty  brown  plum  aphid  {Aphis  scfan'cu). 

Mealy  plum  louse  (Hyalopferus  arundinis). 

European  fruit-tree  scale  (As  pi  di  of  us  ostrccc- 
for  mis). 

PEAR  PESTS 

The  pear-leaf  blister-mite  ^^  (EriopJiyes  pyri) 
Order — Acarina 

This  is  an  European  pest  originally  confined  to 
the  pear  but  now  an  important  pest  on  apple  in  New 
York;  it  is  a  small,  light-colored,  four-legged  ani- 
mal about  1-125  of  an  inch  in  length;  it  hibernates 
in  the  buds  beneath  the  bud-scales ;  in  the  spring  the 
mites  become  active  and  go  to  the  unfolding  leaves 
into  which  they  burrow  and  make  small  brown, 
almost  black,  galls  or  blisters  on  them;  the  mites 
live  inside  the  galls  in  the  tissues  of  the  leaves  and 
lay  their  eggs  there ;  the  young  are  produced  in  the 

?*  Parrott— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  306. 


PEAR  INSECTS 


55 


g-alls  but  emerge  later  and  form  other  blisters;  af- 
fected leaves  turn  yellow  and  drop,  thus  injuring 
the  tree. 

Control — Spray  trees  in  fall  or  spring  with 
lime-sulphur,  i  gallon  to  lo  or  12  of  water. 

The  pear  psylla  ^^  (Psylla  pyricola) 
Order^Hemiptera.     Manual,  p.  156 

A  very  fluctuating  pest  introduced  from  Europe 
upon  young  pear  trees  about  1832;  very  injurious 
in  central  and  western  New  York  and  along  the 
Hudson;  the  orange-yellow  eggs  are  deposited  in 
creases  in  the  bark  mostly  before  the  buds  burst; 
the  eggs  hatch  usually  during  the  first  two  weeks 
of  May;  the  nymphs  suck  juices  from  leaves  and 
stems  of  young  fruit ;  they  secrete  great  quantities 
of  honey-dew  in  which  a  fungus  thrives  and  forms 
a  black  coating  all  over  the  branches ;  the  nymphs 
mature  in  about  one  month  and  the  adults  appear ; 
there  may  be  four  broods  in  a  season ;  the  adults  of 
the  last  brood  winter  over  in  the  crevices  of  the 
bark. 

Control — Scrape  rough  bark  from  trees  and 
spray  in  November  or  December  or  March  or  early 
April  with  nicotine  sulphate,  y^  pint  to  100  gallons 
and  5  pounds  of  soap ;  miscible  oil  may  also  be  used 
at  the  rate  of  i  gallon  to  15  of  water;  spray  on 
warm  days  when  the  temperature  is  not  freezing; 
spray  last  of  April  or  early  May  as  buds  are  burst- 
ing with  lime-sulphur  at  winter  strengths  to  kill  eggs. 
Spray  for  nymphs  with  ''  black-leaf  40,"  %  pint  to 
100  gallons  with  5  pounds  of  soap;  practice  clean 
culture. 

35  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt  Stat,  Bull.  44. 
Hodgkiss— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  z^y. 


^6  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

The  pear  slug*^^  (Caliroa  ccrasi) 
Order — Hymenoptera 

Eggs  laid  in  June  in  the  leaf,  hatch  in  2  weeks 
and  the  slugs  become  full-grown  in  4  or  5  weeks, 
when  they  shed  their  green  skin  for  a  yellow  one 
and  go  into  ground  to  pupate;  the  flies  emerge  in 
about  2  weeks ;  two  broods  of  the  slugs,  first  in  June 
and  second  in  August ;  hibernate  as  contracted  slugs 
in  their  cocoons  in  soil. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead,  2>4 
pounds  to  50  gallons  of  w^ater,  when  slugs  are  first 
seen. 


The  SAN  JOSE  scale  ^'  (Aspidiofus  pcniiciosus) 
Order — Hemiptera 

One  of  our  worst  pests  on  fruit  trees ;  first  estab- 
lished in  this  country  at  San  Jose,  Calif. ;  widely 
distributed  over  the  United  States,  and  infests 
apple,  peach,  pear,  plum,  currant,  etc.;  first  de- 
scribed by  Professor  Comstock  in  1880;  first  discov- 
ered in  the  eastern  United  States  in  1893;  its  orig- 
inal home  is  in  China.  The  insects  pass  the  winter 
in  an  immature  form — three-fourths  grown — on 
the  branches  of  infested  trees  under  small,  circu- 
lar, almost  black  scales;  young  are  born  in  the 
spring,  in  June,  for  first  generation ;  often  but  two 
generations  a  season  in  New  York  State. 

Control — Spray  with  lime-sulphur,  i  gallon  to  8 
of  water,  fall  and  spring;  spray  old  rough-barked 
trees  with  one  application  of  25%  oil  emulsion; 
summer  strengths  of  lime-sulphur  are  effective 
when  young  are  hatching. 

36  Marlatt— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent..  Circ.  26. 

37  Quaintance— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  124. 
Britton— Conn.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  165. 


Pear  Insects  s; 

The  scurfy  bark-louse"^  (CJiionaspis  furfura) 
Order — Hemiptera 

The  female  scales  are  large,  elongated  and  dirty 
white;  the  male  scales  are  small,  long  and  narrow 
and  have  three  ridges  running  lengthwise;  the  fe- 
male matures  toward  fall  and  lays  60  to  80  pur- 
plish eggs  beneath  the  scale  which  remain  there 
until  the  following  spring;  the  female  gradually 
shrivels  and  dies  as  she  lays  her  eggs;  there  is  one 
brood  a  year;  this  pest  occurs  on  apple  as  well  as 
pear,  but  it  is  not  considered  seriously  injurious. 

Control — Spray  when  the  eggs  are  hatching  and 
the  young  are  appearing  with  nicotine  sulphate,  i 
pint  to  100  gallons  of  water  with  4  pounds  of  soap, 
or  with  whale-oil  soap,  i  pound  in  5  gallons  of 
water. 

The  pear  midge  ^^  (Contarinia  pyrivora) 
Order — Diptera 

The  adult  insects  which  resemble  miniature  mos- 
quitoes, and  are  related  to  the  Hessian  fly,  appear 
in  the  spring  when  the  buds  are  bursting  and  lay 
their  eggs  through  the  petals  and  calyx  on  the  an- 
thers of  the  unopened  flowers;  eggs  hatch  in  4  or 
5  days;  the  maggots  work  their  way  to  the  core  of 
the  developing  pear  and  eat  into  the  flesh  in  all  di- 
rections ;  they  cause  the  fruit  to  become  misshapen ; 
when  the  maggots  are  full-grown,  about  June  ist, 
the  pears  crack  open  and  allow  them  to  escape  to 
the  ground,  where  they  change  to  pupse  and  remain 
in  the  ground  all  winter;  one  brood  a  year;  now 
occurs  in  Connecticut,  New  York  and  New  Jersey, 
being  confined  to  the  Hudson  River  Valley  in  New 
York. 

38  Quaintance  and  Sasscer — U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  121. 

39  Smith— N.  J.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  99. 


58  INSECTS  OF  KCONO^^IIC  niPORTANCE 

Control — Pick  and  destroy  all  misshapen  in- 
fested fruits  before  May  15th;  use  kainit,  one-half 
ton  per  acre. 

The  pear  thrips  ^^  {Euthrips  pyri) 
Order — Thysanoptera 

The  thrips  was  first  discovered  in  California, 
where  it  has  caused  much  injury;  it  was  first  discov- 
ered in  New  York  in  the  Hudson  River  Valley  in 
191 1,  although  probably  had  been  present  there  for 
some  years  before ;  the  thrips  pass  the  fall  and  win- 
ter in  the  soil  and  the  adults  appear  in  the  spring; 
they  injure  the  opening  buds  and  lay  their  eggs  in 
the  tissues  of  the  fruit  stems  and  leaves;  the 
nymphs  feed  mainly  on  the  young  leaves;  after 
feeding  about  two  weeks  they  go  into  the  ground 
but  do  not  change  to  pupae  until  about  October. 

Control — Spray  swelling,  partly  open  and  fully 
opened  buds  with  nicotine  sulphate,  ^  pint  to  100 
gallons  water  and  5  pounds  soap;  spray  on  succes- 
sive days  or  every  few  days  until  probably  2  or  3 
applications  have  been  made. 

The  sinuate  pear  borer  *^  (Agriliis  sinuafits) 
Order — Coleoptera 

First  discovered  in  New  Jersey  in  1S94;  now  se- 
riously injurious  in  lower  Hudson  Valley;  the  fe- 
male deposits  her  eggs  in  crevices  of  the  bark  or 
under  the  bark  scales ;  these  hatch  in  early  July  and 
the  slender  whitish  grubs  make  winding  burrows  in 
the  sapwood;  the  larva  rests  during  the  winter  but 
the  next  year  it  makes  larger  and  more  winding 
burrows  which  frequently  cut  off  the  supply  of  sap 
and  kill  the  tree ;  the  larva  passes  another  winter  in 
the  tree  changing  to  a  pupa  in  the  following  spring; 

40  Parrott— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  343. 

41  Smith— 15th  Ann.  Kept.  N.  J.  Agr,  Expt.  Station. 


PEAR  INSECTS  59 

the  slender  bronze-brown  beetles  emerge  the  last  of 
May  and  during  June. 

Control — Adults  feed  on  leaves,  which  suggests 
spraying  with  arsenate  of  lead  after  the  petals  fall ; 
the  spraying  should  be  continued  during  successive 
years. 

The  false  tarnished  plant-bug  *^  (Lygtis 

communis) 

Order — Hemiptera 

This  insect  has  for  years  caused  more  or  less  in- 
jury to  pears  in  New  York  State ;  the  nymphs  punc- 
ture the  young  fruit,  thus  causing  it  to  become  de- 
formed and  knotty ;  the  tissue  surrounding  the  punc- 
ture becomes  hardened  and  gritty ;  the  eggs  are  de- 
posited in  the  young  pear  branches. 

The  adult  is  about  j4  inch  in  length,  very  similar 
to  the  tarnished  plant-bug  and  is  light  brownish  in 
color ;  the  winter  seems  to  be  passed  in  the  tgg  stage. 

Control — Spray  about  the  time  the  petals  are 
falling  with  nicotine  sulphate,  ^  pint  to  100  gallons 
of  water  to  which  are  added  3  or  4  pounds  of  soap. 
Repeat,  if  necessary,  a  few  days  later. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  PEAR 

Pear-blight  beetle  (Xylebonis  dispar). 
Codling  moth  (Carpocapsa  pomonella) 
Green  fruit-worm  (Xylina  anfennata) . 
San  Jose  scale  (Aspidiottis  perniciosus) . 
Cigar  case-bearer  (Coleophora  Hetcherella). 
Howard  scale  {Aspidiotiis  hozvardi). 
Fruit-tree  leaf-roller  {Archips  argyrospila). 

PEACH  PESTS 

At  least  25  different  insects  attack  the  peach  tree. 

42  Parrott  and  Hodgkiss— N.  Y,  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  368. 


6o  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

The  PEACH-TREE  BORER  ^^  (Sanninoidea  c.ritiosa) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     IManual,  p.   260 

This  pest  is  found  in  every  state  where  peaches 
are  grown  east  of  the  Rocky  Aloiintains;  it  is  a  na- 
tive insect  and  may  attack  the  cherry,  pkini,  prune, 
apricot,  ahiiond,  and  nectarine. 

The  eggs  are  deposited  on  the  hark  of  the  trunks 
of  trees  in  July  and  later ;  they  hatch  and  the  young 
larvae  find  a  crevice  through  which  they  gnaw  their 
w^ay  into  the  inner  bark;  here  they  work  in  the  inner 
bark  and  sapwood,  usually  just  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground;  they  often  girdle  young  trees;  the 
borers  become  half  or  two-thirds  grown  by  fall  and 
hibernate,  either  in  their  burrows  or  in  hibernacula 
until  spring;  they  become  active  and  complete  their 
growth  by  first  part  of  June  in  New  York  and  trans- 
form to  pupae;  some  larvae  seem  to  live  over  another 
year;  the  larvae  make  large  cocoons  at  the  surface 
of  the  ground  and  the  moths  emerge  from  latter 
part  of  June  to  August ;  the  moths  are  clear-winged, 
shy  and  not  often  seen;  the  female  has  one  or  two 
orange-yellow  bands  on  abdomen. 

Control — Dig  out  the  borers  before  June  15th 
of  each  year;  Smith  says,  after  borers  are  dug, 
spray  the  trunks  with  lime-sulphur  at  winter 
strengths  with  an  excess  of  lime  added  and  with  i 
pound  arsenate  of  lead  to  5  gallons  of  the  mixture. 
Spray  wnth  force  into  crevices  of  bark  and  then  hill 
up  6  inches  around  base  of  tree;  gas  tar  is  some- 
times used  but  some  danger  in  it.  Paradichloro- 
benzene  is  being  used  in  an  experimental  wav  (U. 
S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  796). 

43  Slingerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  176. 
Smith — New  Jersey  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  235. 


PEACH  INSECTS  6i 

The  black  peach  aphid  ^^  (Aphis  persiccu-niger) 
Order — Hemiptera 

The  full-grown  aphids  are  black  but  the  younger 
ones  are  reddish-yellow  or  amber  in  color;  the  lice 
appear  early  in  the  season  and  confine  their  attacks 
to  the  tender  bark  of  the  twigs;  later  they  attack 
the  blossoms  and  blight  them;  they  also  attack  the 
young  peaches  causing  them  to  w^ilt  and  drop;  the 
leaves  also  curl ;  the  aphids  leave  the  branches  in  the 
latter  part  of  June;  they  are  said  to  pass  the  winter 
on  the  roots  of  the  tree  reinf  esting  the  tree  again  in 
spring;  this  species  often  gets  into  this  state  on 
trees  from  nurseries  in  New  Jersey,  Maryland,  etc. 

Control — Require  nursery  stock  to  be  fumigated 
or  dip  the  roots  after  freeing  them  from  dirt  in 
15%  kerosene  emulsion  for  2  minutes  only  or  in 
nicotine  sulphate,  i  ounce  to  5  gallons  of  water. 

The  fruit-tree  bark-beetle^^    (Scolytus  rugu- 

losiis) 
Order — Coleoptera 
Peach,  cherry,  plum  and  apple  trees  are  often 
found  with  mau}^  small,  round  holes  in  the  bark  of 
the  trunks  and  branches,  due  to  the  attacks  of  this 
small  black  beetle  about  one-tenth  of  an  inch  long; 
when  trees  are  first  attacked  masses  of  gum  exude ; 
diseased  or  weakened  trees  are  most  liable  to  at- 
tack but  healthy  trees  are  also  subject  to  attack; 
the  parent  beetle  bores  through  bark  and  excavates 
a  burrow  beneath,  along  the  sides  of  which  she 
digs  tiny  niches  in  each  of  which  an  ^gg  is  depos- 
ited ;  the  eggs  hatch  and  each  grub  excavates  a  long 
burrow  as  it  grows  but  finally  changes  to  a  pupa 
and  the  adult  emerges  cutting  a  round  hole  in  the 
bark;  at  least  two  generations  a  year;  passes  the 

44  Slingerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  49,  p.  325. 
.  45  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  29. 


62  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

winter  as  a  larva;  very  injurious  and  hard  to  con- 
trol; also  called  the  shot-hole  borer. 

Control — Maintain  vigorous  healthy  trees  by 
proper  cultivation  and  fertilization;  cut  down  and 
burn  all  trees  beyond  hope  and  cut  off  all  badly  in- 
fested branches  from  other  trees;  clean  up  hedge- 
rows on  the  borders  of  orchards;  apply  thick  coat 
of  whitewash  three  times  a  year  to  protect  trees, 
last  of  March,  first  part  of  July,  and  first  of  Octo- 
ber. 

The  PEACH-TREE  BARK-BEETLE^^    (PJllcCOfribuS 

liminaris) 
Order — Coleoptera 

This  is  another  species  very  similar  in  appearance 
to  the  former,  works  in  much  the  same  way  on 
peach  trees  but  not  so  prevalent  in  New  York; 
hibernates  as  adults  in  cells  just  beneath  outer  layer 
of  bark  on  both  healthy  and  unhealthy  trees;  in 
early  spring  they  come  out  and  migrate  to  trees, 
wood  piles,  brush  heaps,  etc.,  wherever  they  can 
build  their  brood  chambers;  2  broods  a  year. 

The  PEACH  TWiG-BORER  ^^  (Aiiarsia  lineafella) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Apparently  not  a  serious  pest  here ;  more  serious 
farther  south  and  in  California;  the  half-grown 
larvae  hibernate  in  cells  just  under  the  outer  bark, 
mainly  in  crotches  of  the  branches;  in  the  spring 
the  larvae  emerge  and  attack  the  new  leaf  shoots 
into  which  they  burrow;  there  are  several  broods 
a  season  some  of  which  attack  the  stems  of  the 
fruit  and  some  the  fruit  itself;  the  last  brood  of 
larvae  go  into  hibernation  in  cells  in  the  bark;  the 

46  Wilson— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  68,  Pt.  o. 

47  Marlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  80. 
Clarke— Calif.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  144. 


PEACH  INSECTS  63 

moth  is  only  a  little  over  half  an  inch  in  expanse  of 
wings  and  of  a  dark  grey  color. 

Control — Lime-sulphur  i  to  10  and  i  to  11  ap- 
plied in  the  spring  after  the  buds  have  begun  to 
swell  seems  effective  in  California  and  Colorado; 
also  arsenate  of  lead,  5  pounds  to  50  gallons,  applied 
when  the  majority  of  the  blossom  buds  are  showing 
their  pink  tips  seems  effective  in  Colorado. 

Green  peach  apelid^^  (Myjziis  persiccc) 
Order — Hemiptera 

Described  under  a  multitude  of  names;  feeds  on 
60  different  plants;  most  abundant  peach  louse; 
spends  winter  in  tgg  stage  on  tree;  eggs  hatch  in 
early  spring  and  young  go  on  the  buds;  the  third 
generation  leaves  for  other  plants. 

Control — Spray  with  nicotine  sulphate,  %  pint 
to  100  gallons  of  water  with  4  pounds  of  soap  or 
with  whale-oil  soap,  i  pound  to  5  gallons  or  with 
10%  kerosene  emulsion. 

The  peach  lecanium  ^^   (Lecaniiun  nigrofascia- 

fum) 
Order — Hemiptera 

The  ''Terrapin  scale"  affects  peach,  plum,  apple, 
maple,  sycamore,  linden,  and  birch;  it  winters  as 
an  immature  female  on  the  branches ;  these  mature 
early  in  spring  and  bring  forth  the  young;  the 
young  go  to  the  leaves  and  continue  their  growth 
slowly  until  fall  when  they  hibernate ;  only  one  gen- 
eration a  year;  this  insect  is  apparently  not  abun- 
dant in  New  York;  affected  trees  take  on  a  sooty 
appearance  due  to  a  black  fungus  that  flourishes 
in  the  honey-dew  excreted  by  the  insects. 

Control — Lime-sulphur  is  not  effective;  kero- 

48  Gillette— Colo.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  133. 

49  Sanders— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Circ.  88. 


64  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

sene  emulsion  20  to  25%  applied  just  before  buds 
burst  will  kill  the  hibernatino-  females ;  the  miscible 
oils  I  to  16  or  20  just  before  the  buds  burst  are 
effective;  ^^  an  emulsion  of  linseed  oil  and  gasoline 
applied  at  the  same  period  of  tree  development 
as  recommended  for  the  miscible  oils  has  been  very 
satisfactory;  the  emulsion  is  made  by  dissolving  2 
pounds  of  soap  in  4  gallons  of  hot  water  and  then 
adding  5  gallons  of  raw  linseed  oil  and  3  gallons 
of  gasoline  and  thoroughly  emulsifying  the  whole; 
then  add  88  gallons  of  water. 

The  tarnished  plant-bug  ^^  (Lygiis  prafoisis) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  widespread  bug  evidently  attacks  the  fruit 
of  peaches  in  some  years  puncturing  the  epidermis 
and  scarring  the  surface  of  the  fruits ;  as  a  result 
gum  exudes  and  the  peaches  soon  become  unfit  for 
the  market;  the  bug  evidently  attacks  mostly 
peaches  on  trees  standing  in  uncultivated  orchards 
or  about  the  edges  of  orchards  among  grass  and 
weeds;  it  is  very  injurious  to  young  peach  trees  in 
the  nursery  row;  it  punctures  the  buds  and  tender 
growing  tips  thus  producing  a  stunted  straggling- 
young  tree;  it  also  attacks  apples  causing  dimples 
in  them. 

The  adult  is  a  dull  yellowish  or  greenish  bug  mot- 
tled with  reddish-brown  and  about  one-fifth  inch 
in  length;  the  eggs  are  inserted  in  the  tender  tips 
or  petioles  and  veins  of  leaves ;  the  life  cycle  is  prob- 
ably about  45  days  and  there  are  probably  several 
generations  a  year. 

Control — Clean  cultivation  is  the  only  known 
method  of  control. 

^0  Simanton— U.  S.  Bii.  Ent.,  Bull.  351. 

51  Crosby  and  Leonard — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  346. 


PEACH  INSECTS  -  65 

The  oriental  peach  moth  ^-  (Laspcyresia 

molesta) 

Order — Lepidoptera 

The  oriental  peach  moth  has  lately  been  discov- 
ered in  this  country  and  promises  to  be  a  serious 
pest.  It  occurs  in  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Mary- 
land, Virginia,  and  Connecticut.  It  injures  plum, 
cherry  and  peach  at  least. 

The  insect  passes  the  winter  as  a  larva  in  cocoon 
beneath  flakes  of  bark ;  these  pupate  in  early  spring 
and  moths  emerge  in  mid- April  in  Maryland;  the 
moths  lay  their  eggs  singly  on  undersides  of  leaves 
and  the  larvae  attack  tender  shoots ;  the  larvae  feed 
8  to  16  days  and  spin  cocoons  in  axils  of  twigs; 
the  pupal  stage  lasts  5  to  12  days;  there  are  5  gen- 
erations in  the  vicinity  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  the 
fourth  brood  larvae  feed  on  the  fruit  of  late  ripen- 
ing varieties. 

Control — Winter  applications  of  lime-sulphur 
are  useful;  applications  of  the  neutral  arsenate  of 
lead,  2  pounds  to  50  gallons  will  aid  in  control; 
begin  spraying  with  dropping  of  the  bloom  and 
make  three  applications  about  one  month  apart; 
watch  efl^ect  of  applications  as  arsenate  of  lead  is 
liable  to  burn  foliage;  use  extra  lime  or  add  to  the 
self-boiled  lime-sulphur. 

The  plum  curculio  ^^ — An  important  pest  on 
peaches  because  it  not  only  punctures  the  fruit  but 
carries  the  spores  of  brown-rot  and  makes  wounds 
through  which  the  brown-rot  enters.  The  self- 
boiled  lime-sulphur  for  control  of  brown-rot  with 
arsenate  of  lead  added  at  the  rate  of  2  pounds  to 
50  gallons  of  the  mixture  has  given  good  results  in 
the  control  of  this  pest.  The  arsenate  of  lead  com- 
bined  with  the   self-boiled   lime-sulphur   does   not 

^2  Carman — Md.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  209. 

^3  Scott  and  Quaintance — U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  120, 


66  INSECTS  OF  ECONO^IIC  LMPORTANCE 

seem  to  be  as  injurious  to  peaches  as  when  used 
alone.  The  first  appHcation  should  be  made  about 
the  time  the  calyces  or  shucks  are  falling  and  the 
second  two  or  three  weeks  later.  It  is  doubtful  if 
a  third  application  of  poison  is  advisable. 

The  Sax  Jose  scale — Very  injurious  to  peach 
trees ;  discussed  under  pear  pests. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  PEACH 

Lesser  peach-tree  borer  (Synanthedon  picfipes). 
White  peach  scale  {Aulacaspis  pentagona). 
Fruit-tree  leaf-roller  {Archips  argyrospila). 
Apple-tree  tent-caterpillar   {Malacosoma  amcri- 
cana). 

Peach  saw-fly  (Pamphilius  pcrsicns). 

QUINCE  PESTS 

The  quince  curculio  ^^  (CoiiofracJicIus  crafcrgi) 
Order — Coleoptera 

This  insect  is  a  native  one  and  its  natural  food 
is  the  hawthorn ;  it  also  attacks  pears  and  is  widely 
distributed  throughout  the  eastern,  central,,  and  ex- 
treme western  portions  of  the  United  States. 

The  winter  is  passed  in  the  grub  stage  in  small 
cells  2  or  3  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  earth; 
the  grubs  change  to  pup?e  in  the  spring;  the  beetles 
appear  from  last  week  in  ]\Iay  in  some  seasons  to 
last  week  in  July  in  others;  the  beetles  feed  on 
young  fruits  for  some  days  and  then  deposit  their 
eggs  in  the  fruit;  the  larvae  feed  on  the  tissues  of 
the  quinces  and  when  full-grown  emerge  through 
a  hole  and  drop  to  the  ground. 

Control — ''^'  Spray  first  as  soon  as  beetles  be- 

54  Slingerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  148. 

5'^  Strickland  and  Achilles— N.  Y.  State  Dept.  Agr.,  Bull.  116. 


QUINCE  INSECTS  6-] 

gin  to  feed  which  will  be  during  the  first  two  weeks 
of  July,  usually,  with  Bordeaux  3-3-50  or  lime- 
sulphur  1-40  with  3  pounds  of  arsenate  of  lead 
added  to  each  50  gallons  of  liquid;  make  a  second 
application  in  about  a  week  or  ten  days;  collect  all 
drops  and  culls,  take  them  from  the  orchard,  and 
destroy  them. 

The  bud  moth — This  is  also  quite  a  pest  of 
quinces ;  discussed  under  apple  pests. 

The  pear  slug — This  occurs  on  quince  trees  but 
may  be  controlled  as  recommended  under  pear  pests. 

The  codling  moth — This  common  apple  pest  is 
often  quite  a  serious  pest  in  quinces;  it  can  doubt- 
less be  controlled  as  on  apples. 

The  round-headed  apple-borer — This  is  seri- 
ously injurious  to  quince  trees  but  is  subject  to  the 
same  methods  of  control  as  on  the  apple. 

CHERRY  PESTS 

As  many  as  46  different  pests  may  attack  the 
cherry  tree. 

The  black  cherry  louse  ^^  {Myziis  cerasi) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  is  an  old  European  pest  and  has  been  here 
for  at  least  50  years ;  it  is  primarily  a  pest  of  sweet 
cherries  and  although  in  some  localities  it  may  at- 
tack sour  cherries  it  does  not  seem  to  seriously 
injure  them;  the  eggs  are  laid  on  the  small  branches 
about  the  buds;  the  young  lice  appear  about  the 
time  the  buds  open  on  sprouts  and  lower  limbs  of 
trees ;  the  lice  increase  all  through  June  until  some- 
times they  become  very  abundant ;  then  they  nearly 
all  disappear,  most  of  them  going  to  the  wdld  pep- 
per-grass   (Lepidiuni    apetahim),    only    scattered 

56  Gillette— Canad.  Ent.,  Vol.  50,  p.  241. 


68  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

colonies  reniainino-  here  and  there;  in  September 
winged  forms  return  from  the  pepper-grass  and  the 
egg-laying  females  deposit  their  eggs;  the  cherry 
foliage  may  sometimes  be  blackened  with  these  lice; 
the  winged  and  wingless  forms  are  deep  shining 
black  and  the  body  is  rather  broad  and  fiat;  they 
curl  leaves  badly. 

Control — Spray  wath  nicotine  sulphate,  }i  pint 
to  lOO  gallons  of  water  with  4  pounds  of  soap 
added  before  the  buds  break;  spray  thoroughly. 

The  cherry  fruit-flies  ^'^  (RJiagoIetis  cingulata) 

(RJiagolctis  fausfa) 
Order — Diptera 

These  flies  are  very  similar  in  appearance  to  the 
apple  maggot  fly ;  the  eggs  are  inserted  beneath  the 
skin  of  the  cherries  a  short  time  before  they  begin  to 
redden;  infested  cherries  do  not  show  any  effects 
of  the  tgg  laying  or  of  the  maggot  within  for  some 
days;  w^hen  cherries  are  left  on  the  tree  or  picked 
a  portion  of  each  fruit  will  rot  and  sink  in  on  the 
side ;  the  maggot  is  yellowish-white  and  a  little  over 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  long;  it  is  straight  while  the 
larva  of  the  curculio  that  lives  in  cherries  is  usually 
more  or  less  curved;  the  maggots  leave  the  fruit 
when  full-grown  and  enter  the  ground  where  they 
change  to  pup?e  and  remain  until  the  following 
spring;  there  is  only  one  brood  a  year;  the  insects 
are  confined  mainly  to  sour  varieties  of  cherries. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead,  5  pounds, 
water  100  gallons,  and  2  gallons  of  molasses;  apply 
just  as  cherries  begin  to  redden  or  when  flies  first 
appear;  if  it  rains  repeat  in  a  week  or  ten  days. 
There  is  evidence  to  show  that  arsenate  of  lead 
alone  in  water  will  control  the  insects. 

57  SHngerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  172. 
Illingworth — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  325. 


CHERRY  INSECTS  69 

The  cherry-tree  leaf-roller  ^^  (Archips  cerasi- 

V  or ana) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

This  pest  is  often  seen  on  choke  cherries;  the 
eggs  are  laid  in  patches  on  trunks  or  branches  near 
the  ground;  they  remain  here  unhatched  until  the 
following  spring;  when  they  hatch  the  green  larvae 
crawl  up  to  the  branches  where  they  begin  to  draw 
the  leaves  toward  each  other  and  tie  them  together 
with  silk;  in  this  way  they  build  large  ugly  nests, 
inside  of  which  they  live  and  eat  the  leaves ;  the 
larvae  pupate  in  these  nests  and  the  moths  appear  in 
June  and  July ;  one  brood  a  year. 

Control — Cut  out  nests  and  burn  before  moths 
appear. 

Cherry  leaf-miner  ^^  (Profcnusa  coUaris) 
Order — Hyriienoptera 

The  larvae  mine  in  the  leaves  of  cherries ;  interior 
of  leaves  all  eaten  out  and  leaf  then  turns  brown 
and  a  large  ''blister"  is  formed;  principal  damage 
occurs  during  last  week  of  May  and  early  part  of 
June;  the  larvae  go  into  ground  to  hibernate. 

Control — Plow  and  cultivate  ground  in  late  fall 
to  destroy  larvae;  pick  off  the  infested  leaves  and 
destroy  them. 

Shot-hole  borer — Discussed  under  peach  pests. 
It  is  often  a  serious  pest  on  cherries. 

The  pear  slug — Often  a  serious  pest  on  cher- 
ries; discussed  under  pear  pests. 

The  plum  curculio — Often  a  serious  pest  on 
cherries;  discussed  under  plum  pests. 

Control — Spray  sour  cherries  with  arsenate  of 
lead,  3  pounds  to  50  gallons  just  after  petals  fall  as 
the  young  cherries  are  bursting  through  the  calyces ; 

58  Herrick— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  311,  p.  290. 
•saParrott  and  Fulton— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  41 1. 


70  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

sweet  cherries  may  need  to  be  sprayed  twice,  ten 
days  apart. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE 
CHERRY 

Cherry  friiit-sawfly  {Hoplocampa  cookci). 
Forbes'  scale  {AspidioUis  forbesi). 
Fruit-tree  leaf-roller  (Archips  argyrospila). 
Oblique  banded  leaf-roller  {Archips  rosaceana). 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  SMALL  FRUITS 


GRAPE  PESTS 

Over  100  insects  recorded  in  this  country  on  the 
vine. 

The  grape  phylloxera  ^  {Phylloxera  vastatrix) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  insect  has  always  existed  in  this  country 
on  wild  vines  but  not  very  injurious  here;  very 
destructive  in  France;  it  exists  in  two  forms,  one 
on  the  leaves  and  one  on  the  roots ;  the  root  form  is 
much  the  more  injurious  one. 

The  true  sexual  eggs  are  laid  in  the  fall  on  old 
wood  and  hatch  the  following  spring;  the  young 
lice  go  to  the  leaves  and  form  galls  on  -the  lower 
sides;  in  these  galls  a  female  may  lay  500  or  600 
eggs;  there  may  be  6  or  7  generations  a  season  on 
the  leaves ;  young  of  later  generations  pass  to  roots 
and  winter  there ;  the  root-forms  cause  galls  on  the 
roots  and  great  injury;  winged  females  issue  from 
cracks  in  the  soil  in  fall  and  go  to  the  stems  of  vines 
where  they  lay  2  to  8  eggs;  these  eggs  are  of  two 
sizes,  the  smaller  yielding  males  and  the  larger 
females;  the  true  females  are  small  with  rudimen- 
tary mouthparts  and  each  lays  a  single  true  tgg. 

1  Marlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  70. 
Quayle— Calif.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  192. 

71 


72  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

CoNTRor. — Tn  France  American  root-stocks  are 
used. 

The  grape  root-worm  -  {Fidia  viticida) 
Order — Coleoptera 

The  most  serious  pest  of  the  grape  in  this  state ; 
probably  invaded  Chautauqua  g'rape  region  about 
1899;  it  is  an  American  insect  and  widely  distrib- 
uted over  the  northern  half  of  the  eastern  United 
States. 

The  adult  beetles  appear  last  of  June  or  first  of 
July  and  begin  feeding  on  leaves  making  charac- 
teristic chain-like  holes ;  about  middle  of  July  they 
begin  to  deposit  eggs  in  masses  under  the  loose  bark 
on  the  canes  and  trunks;  the  eggs  hatch  in  about 
two  weeks  and  the  larvae  drop  to  the  ground  where 
they  make  their  way  to  the  roots  through  cracks 
and  crevices  of  the  soil;  they  live  upon  the  roots 
and  become  nearly  and  sometimes  full-grown  by 
fall;  in  November  the  larvae  burrow  to  a  depth  of 
a  foot,  form  cells  in  the  soil  and  pass  the  winter; 
•in  early  May  they  return  to  the  roots,  feed  a  short 
time  and  change  to  pupae  along  in  the  middle  of 
June ;  the  partly  grown  larvae  may  feed  longer ;  the 
pupal  stage  lasts  about  two  weeks  when  the  adults 
appear,  thus  making  one  generation  a  year. 

Control — Cultivation  about  the  roots  of  the 
vines  with  a  horse-hoe  during  the  first  two  weeks 
of  June  is  of  benefit  in  destroying  the  pupae.  If 
beetles  are  only  moderately  abundant,  spray  vines 
within  one  week  after  beetles  are  first  seen  with  6 
pounds  of  arsenate  of  lead  in  100  gallons  Bordeaux; 
if  beetles  abundant,  use  the  sweetened  mixture  of 
six  pounds  arsenate  of  lead,  100  gallons  water  and 

2  SHngerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  184. 
Hammar— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  89. 
Hartzell— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  331. 


GRAPE  INSECTS  73 

2  gallons  molasses ;  rains  will  wash  this  mixture  off 
and  it  must  be  repeated  to  be  eft'ective. 

The  grape-vine  flea-beetle  ^  (Haltica  chalybea) 
Order — ^Coleoptera 

Another  American  pest  of  grapes  that  in  many 
years  is  very  serious;  the  first  pest,  usually,  to  ap- 
pear in  the  spring  on  grapes;  widely  distributed 
over  the  eastern  United  States. 

The  adult  steel-blue  beetles  appear  early  and  at- 
tack the  swelling  buds  which  they  may  completely 
destroy ;  when  leaves  appear  they  feed  on  them ;  the 
beetles  lay  their  eggs  all  through  May  under  the 
bark  on  the  canes,  under  the  scales  surrounding  the 
buds  and  occasionally  on  the  leaves;  eggs  hatch 
latter  part  of  June  or  early  July;  the  larvse  then 
feed  on  foliage  and  attain  their  growth  in  about 
three  weeks;  they  then  drop  to  the  ground  and 
burrow  dowaiward  several  inches  where  they  form 
cells  and  change  to  pupae;  the  pupal  stage  lasts  10 
days  to  two  weeks;  the  beetles  emerge  and  feed 
upon  the  foliage  but  do  little  damage;  they  finally 
enter  hibernation  along  hedgerows,  borders  of 
woods,  etc.,  where  they  pass  the  winter. 

Control — Collect  adults  in  pans  with  a  shallow 
layer  of  kerosene  in  bottom;  it  is  as  economical  as 
spraying  vines ;  if  no  rains,  spray  vines,  w^hen  bee- 
tles begin  to  appear,  with  arsenate  of  lead,  6  pounds 
water,  100  gallons  and  molasses,  2  gallons;  later 
spray  vines  with  arsenate  of  lead  3  pounds  in  50 
gallons  of  water  or  Bordeaux  mixture. 

The  rose-chafer  ^  (Macrodacfylns  subspinosus) 
Order — Coleoptera 

This  is  an  American  insect  and  is  injurious  to 

3  Slingerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  157. 
Hartzell— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bulls.  331,  453- 
4Hartzell— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  331. 


74  INSECTS  OF  ECONOAIIC  IMPORTANCE 

grapes,  cherries,  apples,  raspberries,  roses  and  other 
plants;  a  very  serious  pest  on  grapes  but  is  liable 
to  occur  locally;  the  adult  beetles  feed  on  the  blos- 
soms and  when  these  arc  gone,  on  the  leaves  and 
berries. 

The  adult  beetles  appear  during  the  latter  half  of 
June,  mate,  and  deposit  their  eggs  the  last  of  June 
and  through  July;  the  eggs  are  deposited  in  sandy 
soil  where  they  hatch  and  the  white  grubs  feed  on 
the  roots  of  grasses;  the  grubs  become  full-grown 
by  November  and  burrow  down  about  one  foot 
where  they  pass  the  winter;  early  in  the  spring 
they  crawl  back  nearer  the  surface,  feed  for  a  time 
and  change  to  pup?e  during  the  latter  part  of  May ; 
in  about  three  weeks  the  beetles  appear.  So  far  as 
observed  these  insects  prefer  sandy  soil  for  breed- 
ing and  develop  largely  in  grass  lands  especially 
long-standing  meadows. 

Control — Harrow  the  soil  in  which  larv?e  are 
present  making  three  harrowings  from  the  last 
week  in  May  to  the  middle  of  June ;  spray  vines  wath 
arsenate  of  lead,  8  pounds  to  lOO  gallons  wnth  two 
gallons  of  molasses  added;  apply  as  soon  as  beetles 
first  appear  on  the  vines;  it  is  said  that  a  mixture 
of  whale  oil  soap,  20  pounds,  water,  100  gallons, 
and  crude  carbolic  acid,  i  pint,  will  kill  the  beetles 
when  hit  and  that  this  mixture  will  not  injure  apple 
and  cherry  foliage. 

The  grape  leafiiopper  ^  (TypJilocyba  comes) 

Order — Hemiptera 

This    leafhopper    is    often    erroneously    called 

''thrips'' ;  it  is  an  American  insect  and  appears  to 

be  found  wherever  the  grape  grows;  it  is  1)ecoming 

of  more  importance  but  fluctuates  in   abundance 

5  Hartzell— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  344. 
Johnson— U.  S.  Bn.  Ent.,  Bull.  97,  Ft.  I. 
SHngerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  215. 


GRAPE  INSECTS  75 

and  injuriousness ;  vines  injured  by  the  hoppers  for 
several  years  have  a  stunted  growth  and  bear  few 
grapes. 

The  adults  appear  before  the  leaves  have  un- 
folded and  feed  until  the  middle  of  June  when  they 
begin  to  deposit  their  eggs  within  the  tissues  of  the 
leaves ;  the  eggs  hatch  during  the  first  two  weeks  of 
July  and  the  nymphs  pass  through  five  stages  and 
many  become  adults  by  August  ist;  they  remain 
on  vines  until  the  autumn  when  they  leave  to  find 
hibernating  places;  grassy  ditch-banks,  fence  cor- 
ners, hedgerows,  and  similar  situations  furnish  hi- 
bernating opportunities;  there  is  one  full  brood,  a 
partial,  and  sometimes  a  full  second  brood;  the 
nymphs  live  mostly  on  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves. 

Control — Nicotine  sulphate,  i  to  looo  to  1600 
is  an  efificient  remedy.  It  must  be  sprayed  on  the 
under  sides  of  the  leaves  to  be  effective.  Use  a 
large  aperture  in  the  nozzle  and  a  pressure  of  125 
to  150  pounds. 

The  grape-berry  moth  ^  (PoIycJirosis  vifeana) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Nearly  all  wormy  grapes  in  New  York  are  caused 
by  the  caterpillars  of  this  moth;  the  moth  is  pur- 
plish-brown with  not  quite  half  an  inch  spread  of 
wings;  infested  berries  show  a  purplish  spot  on 
their  green  surfaces  and  soon  crack  open  at  this 
place;  spores  of  fungi  enter  and  cause  the  berries 
to  rot. 

The  insect  spends  the  winter  as  a  pupa  in  cocoons 
attached  to  the  fallen  leaves ;  moths  begin  to  appear 
about  June  ist  and  lay  their  eggs  preferably  on  the 
youno"  berries ;  the  young  caterpillars  feed  on  the 
small  berries,  often  slightly  webbing  them  together; 
this  spring  brood  of  larv?e  is  hardly  noticed  by 

6  Johnson  and  Hammar— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  116,  Pt.  IL 


^(i  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

growers  although  they  may  destroy  much  setting 
fruit;  the  larv?e  make  cocoons  on  the  leaves  and 
some  transform  to  moths  that  appear  latter  part  of 
July;  these  moths  lay  eggs  on  the  grape  berries  and 
these  larvae  go  into  the  berries  and  cause  the 
wormy  grapes ;  the  larv?e  mature  in  Sept.  and  make 
cocoons  on  the  leaves ;  these  fall  to  the  ground  where 
the  pup?e  pass  the  winter. 

Control — Spray  w^ith  the  following  mixture, 
first  just  after  the  blossoms  fall,  second,  about  two 
weeks  later  or  when  the  grape  berries  are  just 
touching:  arsenate  of  lead  3  pounds,  resin  fish-oil 
soap  I  pound,  added  to  Bordeaux  3-3-50.'^ 

The  grape-blossom  midge  ^  (Confarinia  johnsoni) 
Order — Diptera 

This  insect  has  been  injurious  in  certain  vine- 
yards in  Chautauqua  County  for  several  years;  it 
is  most  injurious  to  early  varieties;  the  larvae  live 
inside  of  the  blossom  buds  and  injure  them  by  feed- 
ing upon  the  pistil;  infested  buds  become  much 
swollen  and  blasted. 

Adults  emerge  from  soil  the  latter  part  of  May 
and  deposit  their  eggs  w^ithin  the  buds  by  means 
of  a  long  telescopic  ovipositor;  the  larvae  attain 
their  growth  a  few  days  preceding  blossoming  and 
then  crawl  out  of  the  bud ;  they  drop  to  the  ground 
and  burrow  beneath  the  surface  where  they  form 
cocoons  and  remain  until  the  following  spring  when 
they  change  to  pupae. 

Control — No  efficient  method  of  control  known. 
The  grape  leaf-folder  ^  (Desmia  funcralis) 

Order — Lepidoptera 
In  midsummer  and  later,  many  grape  leaves  may 

7  Iselev— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  550. 

8  Hartzell— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  331. 

9  Strauss— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  419. 


GRAPE  INSECTS  ^^^j 

be  found  with  the  edges  rolled  or  with  the  upper 
faces  folded  together;  if  opened  a  small  active 
wriggling  larva  will  be  found  between  the  folds; 
the  leaf  will  also  be  found  to  be  skeletonized  inside 
of  the  folds. 

The  insect  passes  the  winter  as"  a  pupa  in  the 
leaves;  the  moths  appear  early  in  the  spring  and 
there  are  at  least  two  broods  a  season;  the  moth 
expands  about  one  inch  and  has  shining  black  wings 
bordered  with  white  and  with  two  white  spots  on 
each  front  one  and  one  long  white  spot  on  each  hind 
one. 

Control — Crush  larvae  by  hand  in  folded  leaves ; 
spray  with  arsenate  of  lead  as  for  the  berry  moth 
and  others. 

The  striped  tree-cricket^^  {Oecanfhus  nigri- 

cornis) 

Order — Orthoptera 

This  species  of  Oecanthus  often  lays  its  eggs  in 
canes  of  the  grapes  causing  a  characteristic  scarring 
of  the  canes.  Its  injuries,  however,  are  not  serious 
since  the  nymphs  do  not  feed  on  the  vines. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  GRAPE 

Grape-leaf  skeletonizer  (Harrisina  mnencana). 
Eight-spotted  forester  (Alypia  ocfomaailafa). 
Grape  plume-moth  {Oxypfilits  periscelidactylus). 
Grape-cane  borer  (Amphicerus  hicaiidatus). 

{Schist ocerus  hamatiis). 
Grape-cane    gall-maker    {Ampeloglypter    scsos- 
tris). 

Cottony  maple  scale  (Puhinaria  vifis). 
Grape  scale  (Aspidiotus  iivce). 
Apricot  scale  {Eidecanium  armeniaciim) . 
Grape  curculio  {Craponius  incequalis). 

10  Parrott  and  Fulton— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  388. 


78  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

CURRANT  PESTS 

The  imtorted  currant  worm  ^^  (Pfcronus 
ribesii) 

Order — Hymcnoptcra.     Manual,  p.  613 

An  imported  insect  first  found  in  New  York 
about  Rochester  in  1857;  it  is  a  saw-fly  with  a  red- 
dish body  about  one-third  of  an  inch  long  and  four 
transparent  wings.  The  adults  appear  soon  after 
the  leaves  put  out  and  lay  their  eggs  along  the  veins 
of  the  undersides  of  the  leaves ;  they  hatch  in  a  week 
or  ten  days;  the  larvae  have  10  pairs  of  legs  and 
eat  voraciously,  often  defoliating  the  bushes ;  when 
full-grown  they  are  three-quarters  of  an  inch  long 
and  burrow  into  the  ground  or  hide  beneath  rub- 
bish on  the  surface  and  spin  cocoons  within  which 
they  change  to  pupae ;  in  July  the  adults  appear  and 
deposit  their  eggs  for  a  second  generation  which  is 
often  more  abundant  than  the  first;  the  larvae  of 
this  second  generation  remain  in  the  ground  all 
winter;  possibly  a  partial  third  generation. 

Control — Spray  when  larvae  are  first  seen  with 
arsenate  of  lead,  3  pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water ; 
when  berries  begin  to  ripen  use  fresh  white  helle- 
bore. 

The  currant-stem  girdler  ^-  {Jamis  integer) 
Order — Hymenoptera 

An  American  insect  that  is  widely  distributed  in 
New  York  State ;  in  May,  it  girdles  the  new  growth 
of  the  branches  and  the  tips  wilt  and  fall  over ;  the 
adult  insect  is  a  saw-fly  with  a  shining  black  body 
and  transparent  wings. 

The  winter  is  passed  as  a  larva  in  JDurrows  in- 
side the  currant  stems;  in  April  it  changes  to  a 

11  Riley— Ninth  Mo.  Rept,  p.  7. 

12  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  126. 


CURRANT  INSECTS  79 

pupa  and  in  the  last  part  of  May  the  adults  appear; 
the  f emale^  makes  a  hole  in  the  tender  branch  with 
her  ovipositor  and  then  deposits  her  egg;  she  then 
girdles  the  branch  about  one  inch  above  the  egg; 
this  she  does  in  an  interesting  way  with  her  oviposi- 
tor; the  end  of  the  stem  wilts  and  falls  over;  the 
larva  burrows  down  the  stem  going  6  or  8  inches 
by  fall ;  it  then  spins  a  cocoon  at  the  lower  end  and 
passes  the  winter. 

Control — As  soon  as  the  wilted  tips  of  the  canes 
are  seen  in  the  spring  they  should  be  cut  off  4  or  5 
inches  below  the  girdled 'place  and  burned.  This 
will  destroy  all  of  the  eggs. 

Tpie  currant  motii-borer  '^  (Scsia  tipiiUfonnis) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

This  is  a  beautiful  clear-winged  moth  like  the 
peach-tree  borer ;  it  is  another  imported  pest  and  is 
said  to  be,  in  some  localities,  a  serious  one. 

The  eggs  are  laid  on  the  stems  in  the  axils  of  the 
leaves;  the  young  larva  bores  into  the  stem  and 
gradually  tunnels  out  a  burrow  down  the  center  as 
it  grows ;  the  larvae  become  half  grown  by  fall  and 
pass  the  winter  in  their  burrows;  in  spring  they 
complete  their  growth  and  pupate;  the  moths  ap- 
pear in  June.  Affected  stems  produce  small  yel- 
lowish leaves  and  are  soon  broken  oft'  by  the  wind. 

Control— Infested  stems  should  be  cut  off  be- 
low the  lowest  part  of  the  tunnel  and  burned. 

The  currant  aphid  ^^  (My::its  ribis) 
Order — Hemiptera 

The  small  black  eggs  of  the  aphid  are  found  on 
the  stalks  in  winter  and  hatch  just  as  the  foliage 


"  Lugger— Minn.  Expt.  Stat.  Bull.  43,  p.  184. 
"Lowe— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  139. 


8o  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

appears;  the  apbids  multiply  and  cause  the  foliage 
to  curl  and  pucker ;  in  the  third  generation  winged 
females  migrate  to  motherwort  (Leomirus)  and 
hedgenettle  (SfacJiys)  but  some  of  the  aphids  may 
remain  on  the  currants ;  in  late  October  the  winged 
migrants  return  to  the  currants  and  produce  males 
and  egg-laying  females,  the  latter  depositing  the 
eggs. 

Control — Spray  before  leaves  are  badly  curled 
with  nicotine  sulphate,  i  pint  to  lOO  gallons  of  wa- 
ter with  4  pounds  of  soap  added ;  spray  the  under- 
sides of  the  leaves. 

The  FOUR-LINED  LEAF-BUG  ^^  (PcccHocapsHS  Uiica- 

tiis) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  is  a  common  bug  with  many  food  plants  but 
is  often  very  injurious  to  the  young  foliage  of  cur- 
rant and  gooselDcrry;  attacked  leaves  turn  brown, 
curl  up  and  become  brittle. 

The  eggs  are  deposited  in  slits  cut  lengthwise  in 
the  stems  of  the  plants;  the}^  pass  the  winter  in 
these  situations  and  hatch  early  in  the  spring;  the 
nymphs  have  shining  vermilion  red  bodies;  they 
molt  five  times  and  become  full-grown  in  17  to  20 
days ;  the  nymphs  feed  on  the  tenderest  young  foli- 
age, causing  brownish  depressed  spots  to  appear  on 
the  leaves;  the  adult  bugs  appear  about  the  middle 
of  June ;  lay  their  eggs,  are  active  for  about  a  month 
and  then  disappear. 

Control — Spray  the  nymphs  with  nicotine  sul- 
phate, three-fourths  pint  to  100  gallons  of  water; 
cut  off  tips  of  stems  containing  eggs  and  burn  them. 

1^  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  58. 


STRAWBERRY  INSECTS  8i 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE 
CURRANT 

Green  currant  worm  (Gyninonychus  appendiciila- 
tus). 

Pepper-and-salt  currant  moth  {Lycia  cogna- 
taria). 

Yellow  currant  fruit-fly  (Epochra  canadensis) . 

Dark  currant  fruit-fly  (Rhagolefis  ribicola). 

San  Jose  scale  (Aspidiofus  perniciosus) . 

Walnut  scale  (Aspidiotiis  juglans-regicu) . 

STRAWBERRY  PESTS 

White  grubs  ^^  (Phyllophaga  sp.) 
Order — Coleoptera 

White  grubs  are  the  larvae  of  May  beetles  or 
''June  bugs";  there  are  at  least  eight  species  of 
these  that  are  injurious;  these  insects  have  a  pro- 
longed life  cycle,  two  to  three  years  and  may  be 
longer  in  some  cases;  w^hite  grubs  are  liable  to 
accumulate  in  old  pastures  and  meadows  and  w^hen 
these  are  broken  and  other  crops  put  on  the  sod 
there  is  liable  to  be  much  injury;  the  grubs  eat  off 
roots  of  strawberry  plants. 

The  eggs  are  laid  in  balls  of  earth  in  the  ground 
where  they  hatch  and  the  grubs  live  there  until  the 
summer  of  the  second  year  when  they  change  to 
pupae  in  the  soil ;  the  pupae  change  to  beetles  in  late 
summer  but  the  beetles  remain  in  their  earthen  cells 
until  the  following  spring. 

Control — Do  not  follow  sod  land  with  straw- 
berries; put  some  other  crop  between;  in  gardens 
and  small  plantings  dig  grubs  out  by  hand. 

16  Forbes — Illinois  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  ii6. 
Davis — U.  S.  Dcpt.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  940. 


82  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

The  STRAWBERRY  WEEVIL  ^"^   (AnfJiouoinus  signa- 

His) 
Order — Coleoptera 

This  is  a  small  beetle  about  one-tenth  of  an  inch 
long-  with  a  rather  long  proboscis ;  it  is  usually  more 
injurious  farther  south  and  in  the  southeastern  part 
of  New  York  State. 

The  weevils  emerge  from  their  winter  quarters 
early  and  the  females  deposit  their  eggs  within  the 
buds  of  strawberries;  the  beetle  then  cuts  off  the 
flower-stem  and  the  bud  soon  falls  to  the  ground; 
the  grub  lives  inside  of  the  bud  on  the  poilen  and 
changes  to  a  pupa  from  which  the  beetle  emerges 
later ;  evidently  but  one  brood  a  year. 

Control — ^If  possible  plant  mostly  pistillate  va- 
rieties with  just  enough  staminate  varieties  to  cross- 
fertilize  them;  plant  early-blooming  staminate  va- 
rieties as  trap  crops ;  cover  beds  with  muslin ;  place 
beds  in  open  fields  away  from  fences,  hedgerows, 
etc. ;  practice  clean  culture ;  dust  plants  with  a  mix- 
ture of  sulphur  5  parts,  and  powdered  arsenate  of 
lead  I  part;  begin  dusting  as  soon  as  weevils  are 
seen  and  make  two  applications  one  week  apart. 

The  strawberry  leaf-roller  ^^   (Ancylis  comp- 

fana) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Moths  appear  in  early  May  in  New  Jersey;  lay 
pale  green  eggs  mostly  on  the  undersides  of  leaves ; 
these  hatch  in  about  one  week;  the  young  larva 
feeds  a  day  or  two  on  upper  side  of  the  leaf  but 
soon  folds  the  halves  of  the  leaf  together,  tying  it 
securely  with  silk  and  lives  within  fully  protected 
from  insecticides;  becomes  full-grown  in  about  one 

17  Chittenden— U.   S.   Bu.  Ent.,   Circ.  2i. 
Headlee— N.  J.  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  324. 

18  Webster — Iowa  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  179. 


STRAWBERRY  INSECTS  83 

month  and  is  then  about  Yz  inch  long,  yellowish  to 
greenish-brown  and  head  shining  brown;  trans- 
forms to  pupa  in  folded  leaf;  in  New  Jersey  3 
broods  a  year  but  first  brood  causes  most  injury. 

Control — Make  a  thorough  application  of  ar- 
senate of  lead,  5  pounds  to  100  gallons  of  water, 
within  a  week  after  the  first  moths  appear  and  be- 
fore leaves  are  folded;  burn  over  fields  after  crop 
is  harvested;  plow  up  old  abandoned  beds. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE 
STRAWBERRY 

Strawberry  root-worm  {Typophoriis  canelhis). 
Strawberry  root-louse  (Aphis  forbesi). 
Strawberry  crown-moth  (Sesia  rutilmis). 
Green  strawberry  slug  (Empria  fragarice). 
Obsolete  banded  strawberry  leaf -roller  {Ar  chips 
ohsoletana). 

Strawberry  root-weevil  (Otiorhynchits  ovatiis). 
Strawberry  crown-borer  (Tyloderma  fragarice). 

RASPBERRY  AND  BLACKBERRY  PESTS 

The  raspberry  cane-borer  ^^  (Oberca  bimacu- 

lata) 
Order — Coleoptera 

The  adult  beetle  is  about  one-half  an  inch  in 
length  with  a  slender  cylindrical  body  and  long  an- 
tennae; the  prothorax  is  yellow,  generally  with 
two  or  three  black  spots. 

The  beetles  appear  in  June  and  deposit  their  eggs 
in  the  tender  growth  of  the  canes ;  the  female  then 
cuts  two  rings  around  the  cane,  one  above  and  one 
below  the  egg;  this  causes  the  tips  of  the  canes  to 
wilt  and  fall  over;  the  tgg  hatches  and  the  young- 
larva  begins  to  bore  downward  in  the  center  of  the 

19  Comstock  and  SHngerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  23. 


84  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

stem;  it  passes  the  first  winter  in  its  burrow  not 
far  from  the  ei^g-  and  Iw  the  second  fall  reaches 
the  root  where  it  passes  the  winter,  chani^es  to  a 
pupa  in  the  spring  and  the  beetle  emerges  in  June. 

Control — Cut  off  the  wilted  tips  of  the  canes 
some  distance  below  the  egg  as  they  appear  in  June. 

The  raspberry  saw-fly  ^^  (Monophadnus  rubi) 
Order — Hymenoptera 

A  saw-fly,  the  larvae  of  which  are  at  times  quite 
injurious  to  raspberries;  it  may  feed  also  upon  the 
blackberry  and  dewberry ;  the  leaves  are  completely 
devoured,  the  new  canes  may  be  injured  and  the 
buds  and  young  fruit  sometimes  suft'er. 

The  adults  appear  the  first  half  of  May  and  de- 
posit their  eggs  within  the  tissues  of  the  leaves 
from  the  undersides;  in  a  \veek  to  ten  days  they 
hatch;  the  full-grown  larva  is  green  in  color  with 
the  body  covered  with  spine-bearing  tubercles; 
after  feeding  on  leaves  until  nothing  but  veins  are 
left  the  larvae  go  into  the  ground  two  or  three 
inches  below  the  surface  and  make  cocoons  in 
which  they  spend  the  wnnter,  changing  to  pupae  in 
the  spring;  there  is  only  one  brood  annually. 

Control — The  larvae  may  be  brushed  from  the 
plants  to  the  ground  where  they  will  die ;  the  plants 
may  be  sprayed  with  arsenate  of  lead,  2>4  pounds 
to  50  gallons  of  water  as  soon  as  the  larvae  are  seen. 

The  striped  tree-cricket  ^^  (Oecanfhus  nigri- 

cornis) 

Order — Orthoptera 

This  insect  lays  its  eggs  in  the  canes  in  the  fall 
where  they  remain  all  winter;  the  eggs  are  laid  in 

20  Lowe— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  150. 

21  Parrott  and  Fulton— N.  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  388. 


RASPBERRY  INSECTS  85 

rows  and  cause  long  jagged  wounds  in  the  canes; 
the  nymphs  and  adults  live  largely  on  plant-lice  and 
other  insects  and  must  be  regarded  as  beneficial; 
the  wounds  made  by  depositing  the  eggs  injure  the 
canes. 

Control — If  abundant,  affected  canes  should  be 
cut  out  in  the  fall  and  winter. 

The  red-necked  cane-borer  "  (Agrilus  ruficollis) 
Order — Coleoptera 

The  stems  of  raspberries  sometimes  bear  irreg- 
ular swellings  or  galls  two  or  more  inches  in  length 
and  gradually  tapering  toward  either  end;  caused 
by  a  beetle  about  one-third  inch  in  length  with  red- 
dish ''neck"  or  thorax  and  black  head;  deposits 
^gg  in  June  in  bark  near  base  of  leaf  on  new 
growth ;  young  larva  bores  upward  in  sapwood  pass- 
ing around  stem  in  a  spiral  manner  thus  girdling 
cane ;  it  is  a  flat  yellowish-white  grub  about  Y4  inch 
in  length ;  completes  growth  in  spring  and  changes 
to  pupa  in  cell  in  pith. 

Control — Cut  and  burn  infested  canes  during 
fall  and  winter;  destroy  wild  berry  bushes  in  which 
the  beetles  may  breed. 

The  raspberry  cane-maggot  ^^  (Phorbia  riihi- 

z'ora) 
Order — Diptera 

This  is  a  small  fly  that  attacks  the  new  shoots  of 
the  raspberry  in  the  spring;  the  attacked  shoots  wilt 
and  droop;  the  tip  shrinks,  turns  dark  blue  and 
dies. 

As  soon  as  the  new  shoots  appear  in  the  spring 
the  fly  deposits  its  eggs  in  the  axils  of  the  tip  leaves ; 
the  white  maggot  burrows  to  the  pith  of  the  stem 

22  Smith— N.  J.  Expt.  Stat.,  Special  Bull.  N. 

23  Slingerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  126. 


86  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

and  then  begins  to  tunnel  its  way  downward  inside 
of  the  stem ;  after  working  downward  a  few  inches 
it  girdles  the  young  shoot  just  beneath  the  bark 
which  causes  the  tip  to  wilt;  the  maggot  then  tun- 
nels farther  downward  until  it  reaches  the  surface 
of  the  ground;  here  it  finally  changes  to  a  pupa  in 
June  and  July;  the  pupa  remains  there  until  the 
following  spring  when  the  fly  emerges;  one  brood 
a  year. 

Control — As  soon  as  the  drooping  canes  are 
seen  in  the  spring  they  should  be  cut  off  several 
inches  below  the  girdle  and  burned. 

The  raspberry  root-borer  ^^  (Bembecia  margi- 

nafa) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  adult  moths  are  clear-winged  and  closely  re- 
lated to  the  peach-tree  borer ;  the  borer  or  larva  is 
yellowish-white  and  i  to  i^^  inches  long;  they  at- 
tack the  stems  and  roots  of  raspberries  and  black- 
berries, causing  the  plants  to  die. 

The  moths  appear  in  August  and  September  and 
lay  their  brownish-red  eggs  on  the  lower  side  of  the 
leaves ;  the  larvae  crawl  down  the  stems  and  burrow 
beneath  the  bark;  they  may  hibernate  at  once  or  if 
early  they  will  feed  and  grow  some  l^efore  winter; 
the  next  summer  they  bore  into  the  stems  and  roots 
sometimes  girdling  the  stem  at  the  crown  and  at- 
tacking new  shoots;  during  the  next  summer  the 
larvae  become  full-grown  and  pupate,  the  moths 
appearing  in  August  and  September. 

Control — The  only  way  of  controlling  this  pest 
is  to  pull  up  infested  plants  and  burn  them. 

24  Smith— N.  J.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  N,  p.  9. 

Lawrence — Washington  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  63. 


RASPBERRY  INSECTS  87 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE 
RASPBERRY 

Raspberry  horntail  (Hartigia  abdominalis). 

Rose  scale  (Aiilacaspis  i^oscc). 

American  raspberry  beetle  (Byturus  unicolor). 

Blackberry  leaf-miner  (Mcfalkis  rnbi). 

Red  spider  (Tcfranychus  telarius). 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETABLES 
WHITE  POTATO 

The  Colorado  potato  beetle  ^  {Lcptinotarsa  lo- 

Uncata) 
Order — Coleoptera.     Manual,  p.  576 

Originally  on  a  wild  plant  (Solanum)  of  the  po- 
tato family  in  Colorado ;  gradually  spread  eastward 
to  Nebraska  1859,  crossing  the  Mississippi  River 
in  1864  and  reaching  New  York  1872;  moved  at 
rate  of  88  miles  annually  and  reached  the  Atlantic 
in  1874;  in  1877  it  reached  England  but  w^as  ex- 
terminated. 

The  beetles  winter  over,  usually  deep  in  the 
ground,  occasionally  under  rubbish;  female  lays 
her  orange-red  eggs  in  patches  on  the  undersides 
of  the  leaves ;  she  is  capable  of  laying  500  to  2000 ; 
these  hatch  in  5  to  7  days ;  the  grubs  eat  ravenously 
and  mature  in  2  or  3  weeks  and  then  enter  ground 
where  they  form  cells  and  pupate;  the  pupal  stage 
lasts  10  days  to  two  weeks;  there  are  two  genera- 
tions here,  the  adults  of  the  second  generation  hi- 
bernating. The  work  of  this  beetle  seems  to  affect 
quality  of  tubers. 

Control — Spray  with  paris  green,  i  pound  in 
50  gallons  of  Bordeaux  mixture  or  arsenite  of  zinc, 
i>4  pounds  to  50  gallons  or  arsenate  of  lead  paste 
4  pounds. 

The  potato  flea-beetle  ^  {Epitrix  ciicumcris) 
Order — Coleoptera 

The  potato  flea-beetle  is  a  small  beetle  with  en- 

1  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bii.  Ent.,  Circ.  87. 
2Tohannsen — Maine  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  211. 

88 


POTATO  INSECTS  89 

larged  muscular  femora  on  the  hind  legs  with  which 
it  jumps  like  fleas  hence  the  name. 

The  beetles  hibernate  in  hedgerows,  along  fences, 
etc.,  and  appear  early  in  the  spring;  they  bite  holes 
in  the  epidermis  of  leaves  and  eat  out  green  tissue; 
later  in  the  season  they  cause  much  injury  by  their 
persistent  feeding;  the  eggs  are  deposited  on  and 
in  the  soil  around  the  base  of  the  plant  and  the 
small  larvae  feed  on  the  underground  stems  and 
tubers;  they  bore  straight  into  the  tubers  and  cause 
''slivers"  in  the  potatoes;  pimple-like  spots  often 
occur  over  the  outside  of  the  potato  where  these 
larvae  are  situated  and  cause  "pimply"  potatoes. 

Control — Thorough  spraying  with  Bordeaux 
mixture  to  keep  the  plants  covered  is  the  only  satis- 
factory method  of  control.  Arsenate  of  lead  may 
be  added  or  paris  green  for  the  Colorado  potato 
beetle. 

Blister-beetle  ^  (Epicauta  vitfafa) 
Order — Coleoptera.     Manual,  p.  586 

This  species  is  known  as  the  striped  blister-beetle; 
it  is  a  large,  slender  beetle  with  soft,  flexible  elytra ; 
these  beetles  pass  through  complicated  changes  in 
their  life  history ;  the  eggs  are  laid  in  the  earth  and 
the  young  grubs  feed  upon  the  eggs  of  grasshop- 
pers ;  the  beetles  often  appear  in  great  swarms  over 
limited  areas  and  are  hard  to  control  and  quite  de- 
structive. 

Control — Hand-pick  into  pans  of  kerosene, 
spray  with  strong  poison  mixture  3  pounds  of  ar- 
senate of  lead  to  50  gallons  of  water. 

The  potato  aphid  ^  (Macrosiphum  solanifolii) 
Order — Hemiptera 
This  aphid  is  widely  distributed  from  Maine  to 

3  Gibson— 42nd  Ann.  Rpt.  Ent.  Soc.  Ont. 

*Hoiiser  and  Guyton— Ohio  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  317. 


90  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

California  and  durino-  the  past  few  years  has  heen 
very  destructive;  it  varies  in  color  from  pink  to 
green;  the  black  winter  e^^i^s  are  deposited  on  the 
rose  and  other  plants;  in  the  spring-  they  hatch  and 
the  aphids  infest  potatoes  most  seriously  in  July 
and  August;  a  generation  developed  about  every 
two  wrecks;  the  potatoes  wilt  and  finally  die  when 
badly  infested;  in  September  the  aphids  desert  the 
potatoes  and  colonize  on  various  weeds  and  par- 
ticularly on  the  rose  where  the  winter  eggs  are 
again  laid. 

Control — Clean  culture  with  the  destruction  of 
all  host  plants  so  far  as  possible;  spray  infested 
plants  with  nicotine  sulphate,  ^  of  a  pint  to  lOO 
gallons  of  water  with  5  pounds  of  soap  added. 

The  potato  stalk-borer  (Trichobaris  trinotata) 
Order — Coleoptera 

This  pest  of  the  potato  is  more  injurious  in  the 
West  apparently  than  here  although  it  is  often  in- 
jurious in  New  Jersey  and  may  become  so  in  New 
York  at  any  time. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  POTATO 

Egg  plant  flea-beetle  (Epitrix  fuscida). 
Tobacco  flea-beetle  {Epitrix  parvul a). 
Potato  tuber  worm  (Phthorimcua  operculella). 
Potato-scab  gnat  (Pnyxia  scahici). 

SWEET  POTATO 

The  sweet  potato  flea-beetle^  (Chcetocnema 

confinis) 

Order — Coleoptera 

A  small  bronze  or  brassy-brown  shining  beetle 
about  one-sixteenth  inch  in  length;  hibernates  over 

5  Smith— N.  J.  Expt.  Stat.,  Rept.  for  1908,  p.  342. 


POTATO  INSECTS  91 

winter  in  rubbish  appearing  early  in  May  in  N.  J. ; 
lay  their  eggs  at  the  bases  of  bindweed  and  the 
larvae  live  upon  the  roots  of  these  plants;  adult 
beetles  injure  potato  vines  by  eating  the  leaves. 

Control — Dip  leaves  and  stems  of  plants  before 
setting  in  solution  of  arsenate  of  lead,  i  pound  in 
10  gallons  of  water;  delay  setting  of  plants  as  long 
as  possible. 

The  striped  sweet  potato  beetle^  (Cassida 

hivittata) 

Order — Coleoptera 

]\Iost  abundant  and  injurious  of  all  the  ''Gold- 
bugs"  ;  less  than  J4  ii'ich  in  length  and  of  a  dull 
brownish-yellow  color  with  a  faint  golden  lustre; 
there  are  two  black  stripes  on  wing-covers;  the 
eggs  laid  singly  on  under  sides  of  leaves  and  each 
covered  with  a  little  black  excrement;  larva  is  dirty 
white  and  bears  spines  along  sides  of  body;  there 
are  two  long  spines,  the  anal  fork,  at  end  of  abdo- 
men ;  these  carry  the  cast  skins  over  the  back ;  pupa 
brown  and  retains  the  larval  skins. 

Control — Dip  plants  as  for  flea-beetle  and,  in 
addition,  spray  in  the  field. 

The  sweet  potato  weevil^  (Cylas  fonnicarius) 
Order — Coleoptera 

This  weevil  is  an  imported  species  found  in  this 
country  in  eastern  Texas,  southern  Louisiana,  Mis- 
sissippi, Alabama,  Florida,  and  in  part  of  Georgia ; 
it  passes  winter  as  egg,  larva,  pupa,  and  adult;  the 
weevils  which  are  ant-like  in  appearance  and  about 
J4  of  an  inch  long  are  blue-black  with  a  red  thorax 
and  long  proboscis ;  they  lay  their  eggs  in  cavities 
in  the  stems  or  tubers  of  sweet  potato  plants  where 

6  Smith— N.  J.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  229. 

"  Chittenden— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  1020. 


92  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

they  hatch  and  the  larvie  tunnel  through  the  tubers 
ruining  them ;  the  Hfe  cycle  is  about  5  weeks  in  hot 
weather  and  there  are  several  generations  each  sea- 
son. 

Control — Do  not  use  slips  or  potatoes  from 
weevil-infested  localities;  rotate  crops  and  do  not 
plant  potatoes  more  than  one  year  on  same  soil; 
burn  or  feed  all  infested  tubers  when  crop  is  har- 
vested; clean  up  all  vines,  culls,  and  rubbish  in  the 
fields;  destroy  volunteer  sweet  potato  plants  and 
morning-glory  plants;  spray  potato  plants  with  ar- 
senate of  lead,  5  pounds  to  100  gallons  of  water  as 
soon  as  weevils  appear. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  SWEET 
POTATOES 

Golden  tortoise  beetle  (Copfocycia  bicolor). 
Black-legged  tortoise  beetle  (Cassida  nigripes). 
Sweet  potato  plume-moth    (PferopJionts  mono- 
dactyl  its). 
Cutworms  (Several  species). 

CABBAGE  PESTS 

The  cabbage  root-maggot  ^  {Phorbia  brassiccc) 
Order — Diptera 

This  pest  is  a  small  fly  imported  from  Europe; 
it  attacks  cabbage,  radishes,  cauliflower,  and  other 
cruciferous  plants;  it  also  attacks  cabbage  plants 
in  seed  beds  and  causes  much  injury. 

The  flies  appear  early  in  the  spring,  first  two 
wrecks  of  May,  and  deposit  their  eggs  in  crevices 
in  the  soil  close  to  the  stem  of  the  plant ;  they  hatch 
in  a  w^eek  or  ten  days  and  the  young  maggots  im- 
mediately burrow  along  the  surfaces  of  the  young 

8  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  78. 
Schoene — N,  Y.  State  Expt.  Stat.,  Bulls.  301,  334,  419. 


CABBAGE  INSECTS  93 

roots  and  later  into  the  main  roots;  the  maggots 
complete  their  growth  in  3  to  4  weeks  and  pupate 
in  the  soil  near  the  cabbage  plants ;  the  pupal  stage 
lasts  from  12  to  18  days  and  they  pass  the  winter 
as  pupae ;  probably  three  broods  and  in  some  seasons 
a  partial  fourth  brood. 

Control — For  seed  plants  in  beds,  screen  the 
beds  w^ith  muslin;  for  plants  in  the  field,  destroy 
all  cabbage,  radish,  and  turnip  stumps,  leaves  and 
refuse;  plow  in  fall  to  destroy  puparia;  use  tarred 
papers  on  plants  in  field;  use  carbolic  acid  solution 
and  screens  of  muslin  for  radishes  in  garden ;  helle- 
bore, I  ounce  to  2  gallons  of  water  seems  to  control 
the  fly  on  radishes. 

Cutworms  on  cabbages^   (Various  species) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

There  are  many  kinds  of  cutworms  all  larvae  of 
noctuid  moths ;  these  larvae  attack  various  kinds  of 
plants  and  cause  a  great  amount  of  injury;  they 
remain  in  the  ground  mostly  during  the  day  and 
work  mainly  at  night. 

The  spotted  cutworm  moths  are  flying  from  late 
May  to  October;  they  deposit  their  ribbed,  hemi- 
spherical eggs  singly  or  in  clusters  on  the  leaves 
of  plants ;  the  eggs  hatch  and  each  cutworm,  which 
is  ashy  gray  to  browmish  in  color  with  two  rows  of 
black  spots  on  the  back,  becomes  i^  inches  long 
and  feeds  upon  cabbage,  tomato,  turnip,  onion,  and 
other  plants ;  when  it  becomes  grown  it  transforms 
to  a  pupa  in  the  ground;  there  are  probably  two 
generations  annually  and  the  partly  grown  cater- 
pillars pass  the  winter  completing  their  growth  in 
the  spring;  at  this  time  they  are  voracious  and  cause 
much  injury. 

Control — Do  not  follow  sod  with  crops  the  cut- 

9  Gibson— Canad.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ent.  Br.,  Bull.  10,  p.  23. 


94  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

worms  attack;  plow  land  in  August  and  allow  it 
to  lie  fallow  until  the  following  spring;  use  poison 
baits  of  bran,  arsenic,  paris  green,  and  molasses; 
hand-pick,  etc. 

The  imported  cabbage-w^orm  ^^   (Ponfia  rapcc) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

This  is  the  common  white  cabbage  butterfly  pres- 
ent all  over  the  United  States ;  it  was  imported  from 
Europe  and  first  noted  in  Canada  about  i860  and  in 
New  York  about  1868;  it  feeds  on  nearly  every 
cruciferous  plant. 

The  butterflies  appear  in  early  spring  and  lay 
their  eggs  on  the  cabbage  leaves ;  the  eggs  hatch  in 
4  to  8  days  and  the  green  velvety  larvae  complete 
their  growth  in  ten  days  to  two  weeks  and  change 
to  chrysalids;  this  stage  occupies  one  to  two  weeks 
in  summer;  the  pupae  of  the  last  brood  in  the  fall 
remain  over  winter  as  such ;  there  are  three  or  four 
broods  here.  The  insect  has  many  parasites  and 
diseases  that  aid  in  holding  it  in  check. 

Control — Spray  the  plants  with  a  poison  mix- 
ture before  heading  is  far  advanced;  5  pounds  of 
paste  arsenate  of  lead,  5  pounds  whale-oil  soap  and 
100  gallons  of  water  have  given  good  results;  when 
plants  are  well  headed  one  may  use  hellebore. 

The  cabbage  aphid  ^^  {Aphis  brassiccu) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  is  a  plant-louse  imported  from  Europe.  It 
is  covered  with  a  whitish  powdery  secretion;  it  in- 
jures cabbages,  cauliflower,  turnips,  etc. 

In  autumn  the  males  and  egg-laying  females  ap- 
pear and  the  latter  deposit  their  dark  brown  eggs 
in  great  numbers  on  the  cabbage  leaves ;  in  the  early 

10  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Circ.  60. 

1^  Herrick  and  Hungate — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  300. 


CABBAGE  INSECTS 


95 


Spring  these  hatch  into  the  stem-mothers  that  live 
on  the  tender  sprouts  from  the  cabbage  stumps; 
there  is  generation  after  generation  of  the  winged 
and  wingless  aphids  during  the  season  until  the 
sexes  are  produced  again  in  the  fall ;  this  aphid  has 
many  parasitic  and  predaceous  enemies. 

Control — Destroy  cabbage  stumps  and  all  refuse 
in  the  fail;  spray  plants  with  whale-oil  soap  or 
nicotine  sulphate,  three-fourths  of  a  pint  to  lOO 
gallons  of  water  with  4  pounds  of  soap  added. 

The  cabbage  looper  (Autographa  brassiccu) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

A  very  injurious  species  on  Long  Island;  it  lacks 
some  of  the  abdominal  legs  and  therefore  loops 
like  a  Geometrid;  the  white  ribbed  egg  is  deposited 
on  the  leaves;  the  larva  at  first  is  dark  green  with 
longitudinal  white  lines  on  sides  of  body;  later  it 
becomes  pale  green  and  lines  become  fainter;  the 
pupa  is  in  a  thin  white  cocoon  in  fold  of  leaf  on 
underside;  apparently  3-brooded  on  Long  Island; 
often  injurious  in  greenhouses. 

Control — Same  treatment  as  for  other  cabbage 
caterpillars  but  the  looper  is  harder  to  hold  in 
check ;  cleaning  up  the  fields  in  the  fall  is  important 
in  order  to  destroy  the  pupae  that  pass  the  winter 
among  the  refuse. 

The  harlequin  cabbage  bug  (Murganfia  his- 
trionic a) 
Order — Hemiptera 

A  very  destructive  Southern  cabbage  pest  which 
has  gained  a  foothold  on  long  Island  and  is  work- 
ing northward  in  Ohio ;  has  been  found  as  far  north 
as  Elmira,  N.  Y. ;  it  lays  its  barrel-shaped  eggs  on 
leaves;  they  hatch  in  a  few  days  and  the  nymphs 
complete  their  growth  in  mid-summer  in  probably 


96  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

about  one  month ;  propa])ly  two  g-enerations  in  a 
season  in  the  north. 

Control — Practice  clean  cultivation;  plant  early 
crop  of  mustard  or  radish  as  a  trap  crop  and  de- 
stroy the  old  bugs  as  they  gather  on  this  in  the 
spring  by  spraying  with  pure  kerosene  and  then  by 
burning. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  CABBAGE 

Imported  cabbage  web-worm  (HcIIitla  iindalis). 
Diamond-back  moth  (Plufella  macitUpcnnis). 
Cross-striped  cabbage  w^orm   (Evergestis  rimo- 
salis). 

Southern  cabbage  butterfly  (Pontia  profodicc). 
Flea-beetles  (Various  species). 
Cabbage  curculio  (Cenforhyiichns  rapcc). 

ASPARAGUS  PESTS 

The  asparagus  beetle^"  (Crioccris  asparagi) 

Order — Coleoptera 

For  two  hundred  years  asparagus  had  no  pests; 
now  there  are  two  beetles  that  work  on  it,  both  be- 
ing imported  from  Europe;  the  one  here  was  first 
found  in  Queens  County,  New  York,  in  1862,  but 
had  probably  been  introduced  about  1856. 

The  beetles  hibernate  under  rubbish  and  appear 
in  May;  they  lay  their  eggs  on  the  stems  of  the 
asparagus  where  they  hatch  into  soft  grubs;  these 
eat  the  plants  and  in  ten  days  to  two  wxeks  attain 
their  growth  and  go  into  the  ground  to  pupate ;  in 
5  to  8  days  the  adult  beetles  appear,  the  whole  life 
cycle  occupying  3  to  7  weeks;  2  or  3  broods  a  sea- 
son here. 

Control — Hand-pick  in  small  beds;  cut  down 

12  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  102. 


ASPARAGUS  INSECTS  97 

and  destroy  all  volunteer  plants  in  spring  to  force 
beetle  to  lay  eggs  on  new  shoots  which  are  cut  often ; 
poison  plants  after  cutting  with  arsenate  of  lead  ^Yz 
pounds,  and  soap  4  pounds,  to  50  gallons  of  water ; 
clean  up  rubbish. 

The   12-SPOTTED  ASPARAGUS  BEETLE  ^^    {Crloccris 
duodecimpunctata ) 
Order — Coleoptera 

This  was  not  found  until  1881  and  then  near  Bal- 
timore; it  is  a  less  common  and  less  injurious  spe- 
cies than  the  former  one  but  lives  exclusively  on 
asparagus ;  the  adult  beetles  cause  the  injury.  ' 

The  beetle  is  reddish-orange  and  has  six  black 
dots  on  each  wing-cover;  the  elongate  oval  green 
eggs  are  deposited  on  the  plants  in  June;  the  egg 
hatches  in  7  to  12  days  and  the  grub  at  once  bores 
into  a  berry  and  usually  enters  about  three  berries 
before  it  becomes  full-grown;  when  grown  it  pu- 
pates in  the  soil ;  there  are  two  generations  here  in 
New  York,  the  first  brood  of  beetles  appearing  in 
late  July  and  the  second  in  early  September. 

Control — Same  as  for  former  species. 

The  ASPARAGUS  MINER  ^^  (Agrofjiyj^a  simplex) 
Order — Diptera 

The  stalks  of  asparagus  are  often  injured  by  the 
larva  of  a  fly  that  mines  beneath  the  epidermis; 
the  mines  are  often  so  abundant  that  they  have  the 
effect  of  girdling  the  stalk. 

The  white  eggs  are  stuck  in  the  sides  of  the  stalk 
just  beneath  the  epidermis ;  they  hatch  into  the  small 
maggots  that  mine  up  and  down  beneath  the  epi- 
dermis; when  the  larv?e  attain  their  growth  they 

13  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bit.  Ent.,  Bull.  66,  Pt.  I. 
Fink — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  331. 

14  Fink— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  331. 


98  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

change  to  puparia ;  the  puparia  are  attached  to  the 
stalk  near  the  ground  in  sHts  in  the  epidermis; 
there  are  two  generations,  the  winter  being  passed 
as  puparia  at  the  bases  of  the  old  stalks. 

Control — Pull  up  infested  stalks  in  spring  and 
burn  them ;  allow  volunteer  plants  to  grow  as  a  trap 
crop  which  should  be  destroyed  in  late  June. 


CUCUMBER  PESTS 

The  STRIPED  CUCUMBER  BEETLE  ^^  {Diabvotica  vit- 

tata) 
Order — Coleoptera 

As  soon  as  squashes,  cucumbers,  etc.,  appear 
above  the  ground  in  the  spring  they  are  attacked 
by  a  small  yellow  and  black  striped  beetle;  this 
beetle  is  distributed  all  over  the  United  States  east 
of  the  Rockies;  it  is  native  to  this  country;  the 
beetles  carry  the  organisms  that  cause  bacterial  wilt 
disease  of  cucurbits;  the  bacteria  of  the  wilt  disease 
pass  the  winter  in  bodies  of  hibernating  beetles. 

The  beetles  feed  upon  the  leaves  and  blossoms 
and  deposit  their  lemon-yellow  eggs  mostly  in  crev- 
ices of  the  soil  near  stem  of  plant ;  the  long,  slender, 
whitish  larvcT  attack  the  stems  by  burrowing  into 
them.  The  larvae  pupate  in  ground  and  the  beetles 
hibernate  over  winter  in  sheltered  places ;  there  are 
two  generations  a  season. 

Control — Put  in  excess  of  seeds;  protect  plants 
with  boxes  or  wire  screen;  hand-pick  beetles  in 
garden;  dust  plants  with  tobacco  dust,  ashes,  or 
Hme;  spray  with  Bordeaux  mixture  and  arsenate 
of  lead  or  arsenate  of  lead  alone;  keep  plants  cov- 
ered with  this  material;  practice  clean  culture. 


15  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  3] 


MELON  INSECTS  99 

The  squash  bug  ^^  (Anasa  tristis) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  is  a  large  blackish-brown  bug-  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  long  that  attacks  cucurbits  of 
all  kinds;  when  it  punctures  a  leaf  to  extract  the 
juices  it  also  injects  a  drop  of  liquid  which  has  a 
poisonous  effect  on  the  leaf;  moreover,  it  carries 
bacteria  of  the  wilt  disease  from  one  plant  to  an- 
other. 

The  adult  bugs  appear  in  early  spring  and  at- 
tack the  plants;  they  lay  their  dark-brown  eggs  on 
the  undersides  of  the  leaves  in  great  numbers ;  these 
hatch  in  8  to  13  days;  the  nymphs  are  green  and 
black  and  abundant ;  they  molt  five  times  and  com- 
plete their  growth  in  about  one  month;  the  adult 
bugs  hibernate  under  trash,  there  being  but  one 
generation. 

Control — Trap  old  bugs  in  spring  with  chips  or 
leaves  placed  under  plants;  hand-pick  adults  and 
eggs;  kerosene  emulsion  diluted  with  7  to  9  parts 
water  will  kill  nymphs  but  not  adults. 

SQUASH  AND  MELON  PESTS 

The  squash  bug — Already  discussed  under  cucum- 
ber pests 

The  squash-vine  borer  ^^  (Meliffia  safyrini- 

formis) 

Order — Lepidoptera 

The  parent  moth  is  a  beautiful  clear-winged 
moth  with  a  wing  expanse  of  an  inch  to  an  inch  and 
a  half ;  it  is  distributed  all  over  the  eastern  United 
States ;  it  attacks  squash,  pumpkin,  and  occasionally 
melons,  cucumbers,  and  gourds. 

1*5  Chittenden — U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  39. 
17  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Circ.  38. 


100  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

The  moths  appear  in  July  and  deposit  their  eggs 
on  all  parts  of  the  plant,  but  chiefly  along  the  stems; 
these  hatch  and  the  larva  bores  into  the  stem  and 
then  burrows  along  in  the  center  of  the  stem  caus- 
ing it  to  rot  and  become  severed  from  the  vine;  an 
affected  stem  wilts  and  dies;  the  larva  attains  a 
length  of  an  inch  and  becomes  full-grown  in  about 
four  weeks;  it  leaves  the  stem  and  goes  into  the 
soil  to  pupate,  the  pupae  remaining  over  until  the 
following  spring;  one  brood  here. 

Control — Insecticides  or  repellants  of  little  or 
no  avail ;  cut  out  the  borers ;  plant  the  early  varieties 
as  a  trap  crop,  or  plant  late  varieties  as  late  as 
possible ;  fertilize  the  soil  well,  and  cover  the  plants 
at  several  joints  where  new  roots  can  be  formed; 
remove  and  burn  vines  as  soon  as  crop  has  been 
secured  to  destroy  eggs  and  larvse;  harrow  soil  in 
fall  and  plow  deep  in  early  spring  to  kill  pupae. 

The  MELON  PLANT-LOUSE  ^^  (ApJiis  gossypH) 

Passes  winter  in  egg  stage;  breeds  throughout 
summer  like  other  aphids;  is  more  injurious  farther 
South. 

Control — Spray  thoroughly  with  nicotine  sul- 
phate being  sure  to  hit  the  undersides  of  the  leaves. 


OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  CUCUMBERS 
AND  MELONS 

Twelve-Spotted  cucumber  beetle  (Diabrofica  12- 
punctata). 

Squash  ladybird  (Epilachna  borcalis). 
Pickle  worm  (Diaphania  nit  id  alls) . 
Melon  caterpillar  {Diaphania  hyalinata). 

18  Chittenden— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  914. 


ONION  INSECTS  loi 

ONION  PESTS 

The  onion  magCxOt  ^^  (Hylemyia  anfiqua) 
Order — Diptera 

The  insect  passes  the  winter  mostly  as  puparia  3 
to  6  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  soil;  the  flies 
appear  in  May  and  deposit  their  white  eggs  on 
leaves  of  the  plants,  or  on  the  stems  near  the  soil, 
or  in  cracks  of  the  soil;  the  egg  hatches  in  3  to  7 
days  and  the  maggots  feed  on  the  young  onion 
bulb  soon  ruining  it;  they  obtain  their  growth  in 
16  to  18  days  and  then  pupate  in  soil;  the  pupal 
stage  lasts  2  to  3  weeks;  there  is  evidently  time 
for  2  or  3  generations  in  a  season. 

Control — Scallions  should  be  planted  late  in 
September  or  early  October;  sometimes  of  advan- 
tage to  make  a  small  early  planting  in  August  as  a 
trap  crop ;  sow  late,  that  is,  in  latter  part  of  April 
or  early  May  and  force  crops ;  rotate  and  get  away 
from  old  infested  fields ;  practice  clean  culture ;  use 
carbolic  acid  emulsion  on  onions  in  garden;  use 
sweetened  poison  bait. 

The  onion  thrips  "^   (Thrips  fabaci) 
Order — Thysanoptera 

This  is  a  very  small  insect  that  causes  a  good  deal 
of  annual  injury  to  onions  in  the  United  States;  it 
is  widely  distributed  all  over  the  country  and  hard 
to  control. 

It  passes  the  winter  as  adults  and  probably  also 
as  nymphs ;  the  eggs  are  laid  in  tissues  of  the  leaves 
just  under  the  epidermis ;  they  hatch  in  3  to  4  days ; 
larval  stage  7  to  9  days ;  nymph  stage  4  days ;  whole 
life  cycle  16  days;  many  overlapping  broods;  the 

19  Gibson   and   Treherne— Canad.   Dept.   Agr.,   Ent.   Br.,    Bull.    12, 
p.  29. 

20  Quaintance— Florida  Bull.  46. 


102  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

adults  and  the  young  ones  scarify  leaves  of  onions, 
eating  off  epidermis;  leaves  turn  white,  wilt  and 
die;  very  injurious  at  times. 

Control — Clean  culture  in  fields  and  around  the 
borders  of  fields;  spray  with  the  tobacco  extracts, 
nicotine  sulphate,  ^)4  pint  to  lOO  gallons  of  w^ater 
and  4  or  5  pounds  of  soap,  preferably  whale-oil 
soap;  spray  thoroughly  and  repeat  two  or  three 
times  4  or  5  days  apart ;  commence  just  as  soon  as 
thrips  are  seen. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  ONIONS 

Black  onion  fly  (Tritoxa  flcxa). 
Cutworms  (several  species). 

TOMATO  PESTS 

Cutworms  (several  species) 

Cutworms  sometimes  cut  off  the  young  plants 
when  first  set  and  destroy  much  more  than  thev  eat. 
A  spoonful  of  the  poison  bait  near  each  plant  when 
first  put  out  will  aid  in  controlling  these  pests. 

Flea  beetles 

The  potato  flea  beetle  often  attacks  tomatoes  but 
may  be  repelled  by  thorough  and  frequent  applica- 
tions of  Bordeaux  mixture.  It  should  be  sprayed 
on  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. 

The  NORTHERN  TOMATO  WORM  ~^  (PhlegcfJiojifius 

quinquemaculata) 

Order — Lepidoptera 

There  are  two  large  green  caterpillars  very  simi- 
lar in  appearance  that  attack  tomatoes,  one  more 

21  Chittenden — Insects  Injurious  to  Vegetables,  p.  229. 


TOMATO  INSECTS  103 

common  in  the  North  and  the  other  more  common 
in  the  South ;  the  caterpillar  becomes  about  3  inches 
long;  the  insect  passes  the  winter  in  the  ground  as 
a  pupa,  the  first  moths  appearing  about  June  i ; 
they  deposit  their  eggs  on  the  leaves  and  the  cater- 
pillars become  grown  in  about  3  weeks  when  they  go 
into  the  soil  to  pupate;  the  generations  are  some- 
what confused  but  there  appears  to  be  one  in  the 
North  and  two  farther  south  each  season. 

Control — Hand  pick  the  larvae ;  spray  with  paste 
arsenate  of  lead,  5  pounds  to  100  gallons  of  water 
or  dust  with  powdered  arsenate  of  lead,  3J^  to  5 
pounds  to  the  acre. 

The  tomato  fruit-worm  ^^  (Heliothis  obsoleta) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

This  is  the  same  as  the  corn  ear-worm  and  boll- 
worm  of  cotton.  It  is  more  abundant  farther 
south.  The  larva  eats  into  the  tomatoes  and  often 
destroys  large  numbers  of  them. 

Control — Plow  land  in  fall  or  winter.  Dust  in- 
fested plants,  especially  the  fruit,  with  powdered 
arsenate  of  lead. 

BEET  AND  SPINACH  PESTS 

Beet  leaf-miner  ^^   (Pegomyia  hyoscyami) 
Order — Diptera 

The  parent  insect  is  a  fly  about  as  large  as  a 
housefly;  it  passes  the  winter  mostly  as  puparia  in 
the  soil;  the  flies  appear  late  in  April  and  in  May 
and  lay  their  eggs  on  the  undersides  of  the  leaves; 
the  eggs  hatch  in  from  4  to  6  days  and  the  maggots 
burrow  into  the  leaf  where  they  make  blotch-like 
mines;  they  become  full-grown  in  7  to  14  days  and 


'  Quaintance  and  Brues — U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  50. 
'  Dickerson — N.  J.  Expt.  Stat.,  Kept,  for  191 1,  p. 


444. 


104  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

some  pupate  among  or  beneath  decayino-  leaves, 
while  others  go  into  the  soil;  the  pupal  stage  lasts 
about  3  weeks ;  there  are  probably  3  generations  and 
perhaps  a  partial  fourth. 

Control — In  gardens  pick  off  and  burn  infested 
leaves;  plow  deep  and  harrow  thoroughly  as  soon 
as  crop  is  removed ;  with  beets,  use  spinach  as  trap 
crop;  destroy  the  wild  food-plant  (lambs-quar- 
ters). 

The  spinach  aphid  ^"^  (Myf:us  pcrsiccc) 
Order — Hemiptera 

The  spinach  aphid  feeds  on  over  100  plants;  the 
adult  is  greenish-yellow  to  pinkish  in  color;  in 
colder  regions  the  aphid  passes  the  winter  as  an  egg- 
on  fruit  trees  while  in  w^armer  localities  it  may  pass 
the  winter  as  an  adult  on  vegetables;  in  summer 
there  are  many  generations  on  the  spinach  and  great 
injury  often  results. 

Control — No  satisfactory  method  of  control 
known. 

Spinach  flea-beetle  ^^    (Disonycha 

xanthomclccna) 

Order — Coleoptera 

A  shining  black  flea-beetle  with  red  prothorax 
and  about  ]/[  inch  long;  greatly  injures  sugar  beets; 
beetles  hibernate  over  winter ;  lav  eefsfs  at  bases  of 
plants ;  larvae  feed  on  underside  of  leaves  and  later, 
together  with  adults,  eat  holes  in  leaves ;  tw^o  gener- 
ations at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Control — Dust  plants  or  spray  them  with  ar- 
senate of  lead ;  use  Bordeaux  mixture  alone  or  with 
poison. 

24  Chittenden— Va.  Truck  Crop  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  2. 
^^'  Chittenden— U.  S.  Ru.  Ent.,  Bull.  19. 


BEAN  AND  PEA  INSECTS  10= 


OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  BEETS  AND 
SPINACH 

Beets,  especially  sugar  beets,  when  grown  under 
field  conditions,  are  subject  to  the  attacks  of  a  large 
number  of  insects,  many  of  which  (40)  are  seri- 
ously injurious.  The  pests  of  garden  beets  are  not, 
in  the  experience  of  the  author,  very  numerous  or 
very  serious. 

Beet  aphis  (Pemphigus  betce). 

Sugar-beet  webworm  (Loxostege  sticticalis) , 

Beet  army-worm  (Laphygma  exigua). 

Striped  beet  caterpillar  (Mamestra  trifolii). 

Flea  beetles  (several  sps.). 

Beet  leaf  hopper  {Eutettix  tenellus). 

Blister  beetles  (several  sps.). 


BEAN  AND  PEA  PESTS 

Pea  weevil  ^^   (Mylabrtts  pis  or  urn) 
Order — Coleoptera 

Seed  peas  are  often  found  with  a  hole  in  each  due 
to  the  pea  weevil;  the  weevil  is  about  1-5  of  an  inch 
in  length  and  marked  with  brown  and  white  spots ; 
passes  winter  as  an  adult  and  lays  eggs  singly  in 
spring  on  pods  in  field;  on  hatching  larva  bores 
through  pod  and  into  the  pea;  every  pea  in  a  pod 
may  be  infested;  the  larva  matures  inside  of  the 
pea  and  the  life  cycle  lasts  from  40  to  50  days,  de- 
pending on  season ;  one  generation  a  year. 

Control — Hold  peas  over  one  season,  so  that 
they  will  become  freed  of  weevils ;  do  not  plant  wee- 
villy seed;  plant  late;  fumigate  seed  with  Cs2. 

26  Chittenden— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Yearbook  1898. 


ip6  INSECTS  OF  FXONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

Bean  weevit.  -"   {AcanfJioscclidcs  ohtccfns) 
Order — Coleoptera 

Adult  1)eetle  is  about  j/8  inch  in  length,  with  mot- 
tled wing  covers;  eggs  inserted  in  the  bean  pod 
through  holes  made  by  female;  life  cycle  from  21  to 
80  days;  probably  5  or  6  generations  annually;  it 
also  breeds  in  stored  beans. 

Control — No  method  of  preventing  injury  in 
field ;  fumigate  stored  beans  and  plant  clean  seed. 

The  bean  leaf-beetle-^  {Cerotoma  frifurcafa) 
Order — Coleoptera 

A  small  reddish  black-marked  beetle  about  1-5 
inch  long;  adults  hibernate  and  lay  eggs  in  cracks 
of  soil  in  spring  near  stem  of  plant ;  larvse  feed  on 
roots  and  stems  but  adults  eat  holes  in  leaves;  life 
cycle  from  4  to  9  weeks;  in  South  2  or  3  genera- 
tions, one  in  the  North. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead,  5  pounds 
to  100  gallons  of  water. 

The  pea  aphid  ^^  (MacrosipJmm  pisi) 
Order — Hemiptera 

Exceedingly  injurious  to  peas  some  years  in  New 
York;  life  cycle  similar  to  other  aphids;  passes  win- 
ter in  northern  range  on  clover  and  vetches ;  flies  to 
peas  in  spring  when  these  are  available;  several 
generations  during  season ;  goes  back  to  clover  in 
late  season  and  lays  eggs  that  pass  winter ;  in  south 
it  passes  winter  as  winged  and  wingless  females. 

Control — Do  not  plant  peas  near  clover ;  no  sat- 
isfactory remedy  on  peas  sown  broadcast;  plant 
peas  in  rows  and  brush  lice  off  and  bury  in  soil  by 
cultivation. 

27  Chittenden— U.  S.  Yearbook,  1898. 

28  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  23. 

29  Davis— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  276. 


CELERY  INSECTS  107 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  PEAS 

Cow-pea  weevil  (Pachyments  chincnsis). 
Four-spotted  bean-weevil    (PacJiymerus  quadri- 
maculafns) . 

Bean  ladybird  (Epilachna  corrupta). 
Blister  beetles  (several  sps.). 
Bean  aphid  {Aphis  riimicis). 
Seed-corn  maggot  (Plwrbia  fusciceps). 
Pea-moth  (Semasia  nigricana). 

CELERY  PESTS 

The  CELERY  CATERPILLAR^'^  (PapiUo  polyxciics) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

This  caterpillar  is  green  or  yellowish  and  ringed 
with  black  and  spotted  with  yellow;  it  becomes  2 
inches  long;  when  full-grown  it  changes  to  a  chry- 
salis and  later  the  parent  insect,  a  large  swallow- 
tail butterfly,  appears. 

The  celery  looper"^  (Aufographa  falcigcra) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Where  it  occurs  this  insect  is  considered  very  de- 
structive to  celery;  the  larva  is  a  looper  and  meas- 
ures nearly  2  inches  in  length ;  the  moth  is  purplish 
to  velvety  brown  and  has  a  conspicuous  silvery 
comma-like  mark  on  each  wing. 

Control — Hand  pick  and  poison  with  arsenate 
of  lead. 

The  carrot  rust-fly'^  (Psila  roscc) 
Order — Diptera 

This  insect  sometimes  attacks  celery  and  causes 
the  leaves  to  turn  reddish  and  the  roots  to  become 

30  Davis— Mich.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  102. 

31  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  2,2>- 

32  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  33- 


io8  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

blotched  with  rusty  patches.  The  maggots  also 
tunnel  through  roots  of  carrots.  The  parent  insect 
is  a  small  fly  only  about  i-6  of  an  inch  in  length. 

Control — Late  sowing  and  rotation  of  crops; 
celery  should  not  follow  carrots;  clean  cultivation 
and  destruction  of  all  remnants  and  refuse  after 
crop  is  harvested. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  CELERY 

Celery  leaf-tyer  (PJiIycfcrnia  ferrugalis). 
Wire  worms  (several  species). 
Tarnished  plant-bug  (Lygiis  pratensis). 

Carrot  and  parsnip  pests 

Celery  caterpillar  (Papilio  polyxenes). 
Parsnip  leaf-miner  (Acidia  frafria). 
Carrot  beetle  (Ligyrus  gibbosus). 
Parsnip  webworm  (Depressaria  heracliana). 
Carrot  rust-fly  (Psila  rosce). 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  HOPS 

Hop-plant  borer  ^  (Gortyna  immanis) 
Order — Lepidop'tera 

This  is  a  native  insect  that  is  often  seriously  in- 
jurious to  hop  vines  in  New  York.  It  is  distributed 
from  Canada  to  Washington,  D.  C,  on  the  south 
and  westward  to  the  Pacific  Coast. 

The  Hght-brown  moth  appears  from  the  middle 
of  August  to  the  last  of  September  and  deposits  its 
pinkish  ribbed  eggs  in  the  leaf  sheaths  and  on  the 
leaves  and  stems  of  grasses  growing  in  and  about 
the  hop  yards;  the  eggs  rest  over  the  winter  and 
hatch  during  late  April  and  through  May;  the  lar- 
vae live  for  a  time  on  the  grasses  but  later  go  to  the 
hops  and  some  enter  the  heads  where  they  cause 
''muffle"  heads;  others  go  to  the  stems  and  work 
downward  to  the  roots  where  they  eat  out  shallow 
grooves  in  the  surfaces  of  the  roots  or  burrow  in 
the  centers  of  the  root;  in  from  9  to  12  weeks  they 
mature  and  pupate  in  the  soil,  the  moths  appearing 
in  August ;  there  is  one  generation  a  year. 

Control — Destroy  all  grass  in  and  about  the 
borders  of  the  yards;  pull  out  all  extra  vines  be- 
fore June  I  and  remove  them  some  distance  from 
the  yard ;  try  paradichlorobenzene,  using  a  few  crys- 
tals in  each  hill  and  covering  with  dirt. 

The  hop-plant  louse  ^  (Phorodon  Jnimuli) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  insect  is  widely  distributed  here  and  in  Eu- 

1,  -  Hawle>^ — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Memoir  15. 

109 


no  INSECTS  OF  FXONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

rope  wherever  the  hop  grows.  It  is  often  exceed- 
ing-ly  destructive. 

The  eggs  are  laid  in  the  East  in  the  fall  on  dif- 
ferent varieties  of  plums;  in  the  West  the  aphids 
are  said  to  pass  the  winter  on  hop  roots;  the  eggs 
hatch  in  the  spring,  and  the  winged  forms  of  the 
third  generation  go  from  the  plums  to  the  hops, 
where  they  live  until  fall.  They  multiply  rapidly 
and  sometimes  cover  the  leaves  and  stunt  the  vines. 
At  picking  time  a  winged  generation  flies  back  to 
the  plums  and  gives  birth  to  the  true  females  which 
lay  the  eggs. 

Control — Spray  with  nicotine  sulphate,  J4  pii^^t 
to  lOO  gallons  of  water,  with  8  pounds  of  whale- 
oil  soap. 

Hop-vine  snout-moth  ^  {Hypcna  humiili) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  larv?e  of  this  moth  are  sometimes  exceed- 
ingly destructive  to  the  vines  which  they  soon  de- 
foliate when  abundant.  It  seems  to  have  no  other 
food  plant  than  the  hop  and  follows  this  plant  in  its 
distribution. 

The  larv?e  are  semi-loopers  for  they  lack  some  of 
the  prolegs;  the  pale  green  eggs  are  laid  on  the 
undersides  of  the  leaves ;  the  larvae  eat  the  leaves 
voraciously;  the  larvcC  pupate  in  the  ground,  in 
crevices  in  the  poles  and  in  leaves;  there  are  two 
generations  a  year,  the  last  brood  of  moths  hiber- 
nating in  protected  places. 

Control — Spray  vines  with  arsenate  of  lead,  5 
pounds  to  100  gallons,  or  dust  vines  with  powdered 
arsenate  of  lead,  4  pounds  to  the  acre.  It  can  be 
mixed  with  sulphur  which  is  used  for  the  mildew. 

2  Hawley — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.   Stat.,  Memoir  15,  p.  190. 


HOP  INSECTS  III 

Hop  merchants  *  (Polygonia  intcrrogationis) 
(Polygoma  comma) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  so-called  hop  merchants  are  simply  the  shin- 
ing chrysalids  of  these  two  butterflies.  The  cater- 
pillars of  each  are  covered  with  branching  spines 
and  live  upon  the  foliage  of  the  plants.  Both  but- 
terflies have  two  generations  but  the  first  genera- 
tion of  each  is  spent  upon  food  plants  other  than 
the  hop.  The  second  generation  of  each  is  spent 
on  the  hop,  the  butterflies  hibernating  through  the 
winter.  Both  butterflies  show  a  dimorphism,  the 
fall  or  winter  forms  differing  from  the  summer 
forms. 

Control — Use  the  powdered  arsenate  of  lead,  as 
for  the  snout-moth. 

The  hop  redbug  ^  (Paracalocon's  hazvleyi) 
Order — Hemiptera 

The  insect  winters  as  eggs  in  the  bark  or  attached 
to  the  wood  of  hop  poles ;  the  eggs  hatch  through- 
out most  of  June  and  the  red  nymphs  deform  and 
stunt  the  vines  and  produce  holes  in  the  leaves :  the 
nymphs  attain  their  growth  in  about  thirty  days 
the  adults  appearing  in  August;  there  is  one  gen- 
eration a  year. 

Control — Spray  with  nicotine  sulphate,  ^  pint 
to  loo  gallons  of  water  with  4  pounds  of  soap 
added. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  HOPS 

Red  Spider  (Tefranyclius  fclarius). 
Hop  flea-beetle  (Psylliodes  punctnJata). 

4  Howard— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  7. 

=  Hawley— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  INIemoir  15,  p.  182. 


112  INSECTS  OF  ECONO^IIC  IMPORTANCE 

Tufted  looper  (Ania  limboda). 
Leaf  hoppers  (Typhlocyba  sps.). 

TOBACCO  PESTS 

Tobacco  fea-beetle  ^  {Epitrix  parviila) 

Order — Coleoptera 

A  small  yellowish-brown  flea-beetle  about  1-20  of 
an  inch  long;  it  eats  small  cavities  in  undersides  of 
leaves  that  finally  become  holes ;  the  beetles  appear 
in  the  spring  and  lay  their  eggs  on  or  near  the  soil ; 
they  hatch  in  a  week ;  the  larvae  feed  on  rootlets  and 
attain  growth  in  about  2  weeks ;  pupae  are  found  in 
the  soil;  at  least  4  broods  in  North  Carolina;  adult 
weevils  pass  the  winter. 

Control — Destroy  all  weeds  of  the  potato  fam- 
ily ;  in  seed  beds  and  in  fields  use  arsenate  of  lead. 

Southern  tobacco  horn-worm  ^  (PJilcgcthontius 

sexfa) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Large  green  worms  with  horn  on  posterior  end 
of  body;  they  eat  ravenously  and  do  much  injury; 
when  full  grown  go  into  soil  to  pupate ;  pupa  large 
and  proboscis  forms  a  handle-like  organ ;  life  cycle 
in  summer  about  six  weeks  in  South;  two  broods; 
last  brood  passes  winter  in  ground  as  pupae;  the 
adult  moth  has  wing  expanse  of  about  5  inches. 

Control — Hand  pick;  dust  tobacco  with  pow- 
dered arsenate  of  lead. 

Tobacco  split  worm  ^  {PhthorinKva  operculcUa) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Eggs  laid  on  leaves  of  plant ;  larvae  mine  between 

6  Metcalf  and  Underbill— N.  C.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  239. 

7  Morgan— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Circ.  123. 

8  Chittenden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  162. 


TOBACCO  INSECTS 


113 


the  surfaces  of  the  leaves ;  two  or  more  generations 
in  a  season ;  also  works  in  tubers  of  potatoes. 

Control — Clean  cultivation;  rotation  of  crops; 
probably  arsenical  sprays. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  TOBACCO 

Cut  worms  (several  species). 
False  tobacco  bud  worm  (Heliofhis  obsolefa). 
Tobacco  bud  worm  {Chloridea  virescens). 
Tobacco  ''suck-fly"  {D icy phiis  minimus). 
Cigarette  beetle  (Lasioderma  serricorne). 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  CEREAL  CROPS 
WHEAT  PESTS 

The  HESSIAN  fly  ^  (MaycfioJa  destructor) 
Order — Diptera 

Probably  the  most  injurious  pest  on  wheat  in  the 
United  States ;  imported  from  Europe  and  first  no- 
ticed on  Long  Island  in  1779;  attributed  to  the  Hes- 
sian soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Passes 
winter  as  pupa  or  full-grown  larva  between  blades 
and  stalk  of  young  winter  wheat  just  above  the 
roots;  adults  appear  in  spring  (May)  and  lay  eggs 
on  upper  surfaces  of  leaves ;  maggots  hatch  and  go 
to  the  bases  of  leaves  above  first  and  second  joints ; 
maggot  stage  20  days  or  more ;  changes  to  a  pupa- 
rium  and  passes  the  summer  as  such  in  stubble ;  fall 
flies  appear  in  August  and  first  days  of  September; 
these  lay  eggs  and  produce  puparia  which  pass  the 
winter  again ;  some  flies  may  issue  before  winter. 

Food  Plants — Eggs  often  on  grass  but  larvcX 
live  only  on  wheat,  barley  and  rye;  so-called  red 
wheat  seems  to  be  more  exempt  from  injury  than 
the  white  wheat  (see  Felt,  U.  S.  Bull.  31,  p.  22)  \ 
drought  prolongs  the  flaxseed  stage  greatly. 

Control — Burn  stubble  or  plow  under  to  destroy 
flaxseeds ;  destroy  volunteer  wheat ;  sow  wheat  late, 
not  earlier  than  September  20th  to  escape  deposi- 
ton  of  eggs  by  fall  flies;  sow  strips  of  wheat  early 
in  August  and  then  plow  under  or  burn  first  week 
in  September. 

1  Webster— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  70. 

114 


WHEAT  INSECTS  115 

The  wheat  midge  ^  {Contarinia  tritici) 
Order — Diptera 

An  old  European  pest  closely  allied  to  the  Hessian 
fly;  the  adult  is  bright  orange  colored  and  about 
one-third  the  size  of  a  mosquito;  the  flies  lay  eggs 
in  June  between  the  chaff  of  wheat  heads;  eggs 
hatch  in  about  a  week,  and  the  reddish-yellow  mag- 
g-ots  extract  the  juices  from  the  kernels  causing  the 
latter  to  become  much  shrunken  and  worthless 
either  for  seed  or  for  flour;  these  ''red-weevils"  or 
maggots  become  full-grown  in  3  or  4  weeks  and 
some  leave  the  heads,  usually  during  a  rain  storm ; 
these  go^  into  the  ground  and  remain  in  cocoons 
until  spring ;  others  remain  in  wheat  heads  and  are 
carried  into  the  thresher  and  come  out  in  the  screen- 
ings ;  they  remain  in  the  chaff  in  a  dried-up  condi- 
tion until  spring;  now  occurs  in  nearly  all  the  states 
east  of  the  Mississippi;  shrivelled  kernels  will  not 
grow  good  strong  plants,  nor  make  good  flour, 
hence  such  had  better  be  fed  out;  no  varieties  are 
exempt,  but  beardless  varieties  suffer  more  injury 
than  the  bearded. 

Control — Burn  or  feed  out  screenings;  after 
harvesting,  deeply  plow  under  the  stubble;  rotate 
the  wheat  to  some  distant  field;  early  sown  wheat 
may  escape  with  less  injury  by  the  midge,  but  is 
more  liable  to  the  attack  of  the  Hessian  fly. 

The  chinch-bug  ^  ('Blissiis  leiicopferns) 
Order — Hemiptera 

Not  often  injurious  in  the  East;  has  been  injuri- 
ous over  small  areas  in  New  York  several  times; 
two  broods  of  the  insect  a  year;  winters  in  the  stools 
of  grasses  in  the  adult  stage. 

Control — Western  methods  of  fighting  the  in- 

2  Marlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Farmers'  Bull.  13^. 

3  Marlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  132. 


Ii6  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

sect  with  barriers  and  fungus  diseases ;  consult  bul- 
letins and  circulars  from  the  Kansas  and  Illinois 
Experiment  Stations. 

WiREWORMS  ^   (several  species) 
Order — Coleoptera 

These  pests  are  the  larvae  or  grubs  of  click-beetles 
of  the  family  Elateridae;  the  grubs  are  yellowish, 
cylindrical,  and  hard  like  wire,  hence  the  name 
wireworms;  these  wireworms  live  two  and  in  most 
cases  nearly  three  years  in  the  soil  and  near  the  end 
of  the  third  summer  they  change  to  pupae  in  cells 
in  the  soil  and  later  the  pupae  transform  to  the  adult 
beetles  which  remain  in  their  cells  until  spring,  thus 
taking  three  years  to  complete  their  life  history; 
the  beetles  lay  their  eggs  at  the  roots  of  grasses  or 
in  the  soil. 

Control — Difficult  to  control;  conflicting  evi- 
dence regarding  coating  of  seeds ;  plowing  and  thor- 
ough cultivation  in  August  and  later  for  2  or  3 
years  will  kill  the  pupae  and  finally  check  the  pests ; 
salt  will  not  kill  wireworms  unless  it  is  applied  in 
such  large  quantities  that  it  completely  unfits  the 
soil  for  growing  crops,  and  even  then  is  a  doubtful 
killing  agent. 

The  wheat  stem-maggot  ^  {Meromyza 

amcricana) 

Order — Diptera 

The  winter  is  passed  as  a  larva;  the  adult  flies 
emerge  in  May  and  deposit  their  eggs  on  wheat 
plants ;  second  brood  of  adults  appears  in  July  and 
deposits  eggs  on  volunteer  wheat  and  grasses; 
adults  from  these  eggs  emerge  in  late  August  to 

*  Comstock  and  Slingerland — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  33. 

Hyslop— U.  S.  Bii.  Ent,  Bull.  156. 
5  Marlatt— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  132. 


WHEAT  INSECTS  117 

October,  and  deposit  eggs  on  young  fall  wheat 
plants,  where  they  hatch  into  larvae  and  pass  the 
winter;  the  larvae  do  the  injury  to  young  plants  in 
fall  and  spring. 

Control — Sow  late  as  for  Hessian  fly. 

The  greater  wheat  straw-worm  ^  {Isosoma 

grande) 

Order — Hymenoptera 

This  pest  is  mainly  injurious  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, but  is  distributed  east. 

The  adults  always  small  and  frequently  wingless, 
emerge  in  April  from  stubble  and  deposit  eggs  in 
stems  of  young  plants  in  or  just  below  the  embry- 
onic wheat  head;  the  larva  eats  out  the  embryonic 
head  of  the  wheat  plants  and  usually  causes  a  slight 
enlargement  of  the  stem ;  adults  appear  from  these, 
large  and  robust  in  June,  and  deposit  eggs  in  stems 
just  above  the  upper  joints  usually;  by  October  the 
larvae  pupate  and  pass  the  winter  in  stubble. 

Control — Burn  stubble;  rotate  crops. 

The  wheat  joint-worm  ^  {Isosoma  tritici) 
Order — Hymenoptera 

First  serious  outbreak  in  Virginia  in  1848-1854, 
and  reappeared  in  Indiana,  Michigan,  Ohio,  Penn- 
sylvania, Virginia,  and  Maryland  in  1904-1908.  ^ 

Lives  over  winter  either  as  a  larva  or  a  pupa  in 
wheat  straws;  adults  appear  in  April  or  May  and 
lay  eggs  in  stems  of  plants  at  the  joints ;  larvae  form 
cells  in  stems  and  feed  there  until  straw  hardens 
and  grain  ripens ;  the  larvae  deform  the  straws,  galls 
being  formed  above  the  joints;  grains  remain  small 
and  shrivelled  or  none  produced;  many  of  the  af- 
fected straws  break  and  fall  over. 

6  Webster  and  Reeves— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Circ.  106. 

7  Webster— U.  S.  Bii.  Ent.,  Circ.  66. 
Houser— Ohio  Expt.  Stat,  Bull  226. 


ii8  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

Control — Strengthen  fertility  of  soil  to  produce 
strong-  plants;  burn  stubble  where  not  seeded  or 
plow  under  deeply ;  rotate  crops. 

The  army  worm  ^  {HeUophila  iinipiincta) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

For  years  there  have  been  outbreaks  of  this  pest 
in  various  localities  in  the  eastern  United  ^States. 
Outbreaks  in  New  York  State  in  1861,  1875,  1880, 
1896;  the  larvae  migrate  in  immense  numbers  from 
one  field  to  another,  destroying  the  vegetation  in 
their  path. 

The  eggs  are  deposited  in  unfolded  grass  leaves 
or  into  the  sheath  of  the  leaf  where  it  clasps  the 
stem;  the  larvae  attain  their  growth  in  about  30 
days  and  go  into  the  ground  to  pupate;  the  pupal 
stage  lasts  from  12  days  to  3  or  4  weeks  depending 
on  the  season;  the  winter  is  passed  as  larvae;  there 
are  evidently  two  broods,  the  July  brood  being  the 
most  abundant  and  injurious ;  in  the  south  there  are 
more  generations. 

Control — Usually  fought  by  barriers  in  the 
same  way  as  the  chinch  bug  and  by  poison  baits. 

Grasshoppers  ^ 

There  are  several  destructive  species  of  grass- 
hoppers in  the  United  States;  perhaps  the  red- 
legged  grasshopper  (Mclanoplus  fcmur-nihnnn), 
the  differential  grasshopper  {Mclanoplus  diffcrcn- 
tialis),  the  lesser  migratory  grasshopper  (Melano- 
plus  atlanis),  and  the  two-striped  grasshopper 
(Mclanoplus  bwitfafus)  are  the  most  generally  dis- 
tributed of  any  of  the  injurious  species. 

In  general  the  eggs  of  grasshoppers  are  laid  in 

8  Knight— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  376. 
9Herrick  and  Hadley— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  378. 
Walton— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  747- 


CORN  INSECTS  119 

the  late  summer  or  early  fall  in  the  ground;  the 
eggs  remain  here  until  the  following  April,  May, 
and  June,  when  they  hatch  into  the  young  wingless 
grasshoppers;  the  young  insects  require  70  to  90 
days  to  attain  their  growth;  there  is  usually  but  one 
generation  a  year. 

Control — Destroy  eggs  by  thoroughly  disking 
or  plowing  the  soil  in  which  the  eggs  are  deposited; 
catch  the  young  grasshoppers  in  hopperdozers; 
poison  them  by  scattering  broadcast  the  Kansas 
poison  bait. 


OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  WHEAT 

Spring  grain-aphid  (Toxopfcra  graminiim). 
Wheat  sawfly  borer  (Cephns  pygmceus). 
Wheat  sawfly  {Pachynematus  extensicornis) . 
Wheat-louse  {Nectarophora  avence). 
Leather-jackets  (Tipulidce  sps.). 


CORN  PESTS 

WiREw^QRMS  (several  species) 

These  have  been  fully  discussed  under  wheat 
pests.  They  are  quite  as  injurious  to  corn  as  to 
wheat.  In  fact,  they  constitute  one  of  the  chief 
pests  of  corn  in  New  York  State. 

The  army  worm  (Heliophila  unipuncta) 

The  army  worm  is  injurious  to  wheat,  corn,  oats, 
and  many  other  grains.  There  are  occasional  out- 
breaks of  this  insect  in  New  York,  which  are  often 
very  serious.  The  season  of  19 14  witnessed  some 
serious  injuries  by  this  insect.  It  has  been  dis- 
cussed under  wheat  pests. 


120  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

Cutworms  (several  species) 
There  are   several   species  that  injure   corn   as 
well  as  wheat.     They  are  apt  to  be  more  abundant 
and  severe  on  corn  planted  on  sod.     They  have  been 
discussed  under  wheat  pests. 

White  grubs   (Phyllophaga  sps.) 
These  are  injurious  to  many  crops,  notably  straw- 
berries, wheat,  corn  and  oats.     They  were  discussed 
under  strawberry  pests. 

Sod  webworms  ^^  (Cranibns  sps.) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

These  are  the  larvae  of  a  family  of  small  moths  of 
the  family  Cramhidcc;  the  larvae  are  about  one-half 
inch  in  length  and  pinkish-red  or  brownish;  they 
work  at  first  underground  gnawing  away  the  outer 
surface  of  the  stem  and  roots ;  later,  they  burrow  up 
the  center  of  the  stem ;  they  also  sometimes  eat  the 
leaves;  usually  the  webworms  will  be  found  just 
below  the  surface  each  in  a  retreat  formed  by 
loosely  webbing  together  a  mass  of  dirt ;  within  the 
mass  is  a  silk-lined  tube  and  within  this  a  caterpil- 
lar; so  far  as  known  all  of  the  species  pass  the 
winter  as  caterpillars  not  full  grown;  some  have 
one  generation  and  some  two  each  year. 

Control — Break  land  early  in  fall  or  as  late  as 
possible  in  spring  to  destroy  larvae. 

The  corn  billbug  ^^  (Sphenophorus  callosus) 
Order — Coleoptera 

There  are  several  species  of  snout-beetles  known 
as  ''billbugs"  that  injure  corn  by  eating  cavities  in 
the  stem  close  to  the  ground  or  just  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil;  the  grubs  also  burrow  inside  of  the 

10  Forbes— 23rd  Kept.  111.  State  Ent,  1905. 

11  Satterthwaite— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull,  1003. 


CORN  INSECTS  121 

stem  near  the  base  and  in  the  tap  root;  in  general 
the  beetles  are  robust,  reddish-brown,  or  black,  or 
clay-colored,  and  vary  from  J^  to  5^  of  an  inch  or 
more  in  length;  perhaps  the  ''curlew  bug"  or  "rice 
bug"  is  the  best  known. 

The  beetles  hibernate  and  appear  early  in  spring 
when  they  feed  on  grasses  or  corn;  in  May  the 
beetle  digs  cavities  in  the  stalks  of  young  corn  near 
or  below  the  soil  and  lays  her  eggs  in  them;  in 
older  corn  the  eggs  may  be  laid  in  the  thick  leaves ; 
the  egg  hatches  in  about  a  week  and  the  grub  bur- 
rows in  the  tap  root ;  in  from  4  to  6  weeks  the  grub 
becomes  mature  and  pupates  in  its  burrow ;  the  pu- 
pal stage  lasts  7  to  10  days;  there  is  but  one  genera- 
tion a  year;  the  small  blue-grass  billbug  (S.  par- 
viihis)  breeds  in  grasses,  especially  blue-grass  and 
timothy;  the  clay-colored  billbug  {S.  cequalis) 
breeds  in  coarse  swamp  grasses. 

Control — Sodland  suspected  of  infestation  with 
billbugs  should  be  plowed  in  the  fall  or  planted  to 
some  crop  other  than  corn;  in  the  south  early 
planted  corn  is  least  injured;  rotation  of  crops  is 
advantageous. 

The  corn  ear-worm  ^^  (Heliothis  obsoleta) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  corn  ear-worm,  the  cotton  boUworm,  and 
the  tomato  fruit-worm  are  all  one  and  the  same ;  the 
life  history  of  this  insect  has  been  discussed  under 
cotton  pests;  in  the  case  of  corn  the  moth  deposits 
her  white  eggs  on  the  corn  silk ;  they  hatch  and  the 
caterpillars  enter  the  tip  of  the  ear,  where  they 
gnaw  and  eat  the  kernels,  sometimes  burrowing 
down  the  whole  length  of  the  ear;  they  produce 
much  brown  excrement  which  lodges  along  their 

12  Quaintance  and  Brues— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  50. 


122  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

burrows;  the  injury  is  often  severe,  especially  far- 
ther south. 

Control — Dustini^"  the  ends  of  the  ears  with  a 
mixture  of  powdered  arsenate  of  lead,  ^  pound, 
and  sulphur,  V4  pound,  has  g-iyen  fair  results. 

The  European  corn  borer  ^^  (Pyrausta  mihilalis) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

This  insect  has  lately  been  discovered  in  the 
United  States  and  is  now  known  to  exist  in  Massa- 
chusetts, New  Hampshire,  Pennsvlvania  and  New 
York. 

The  insect  passes  the  winter  as  nearly  full-grown 
caterpillars  inside  of  cornstalks,  cobs,  weeds  and 
grasses ;  during  May  the  larv?e  pupate  in  their  bur- 
rows; this  stage  lasts  from  14  to  20  days  and  the 
moths  appear  in  May  and  June ;  they  lay  their  eggs 
in  batches  on  the  undersides  of  the  upper  blades  of 
the  corn;  the  larvae  from  these  mature  in  about  4 
weeks  and  on  the  average  pupate  in  July ;  the  moths 
from  these  appear  the  last  of  July  or  first  of  August 
and  lay  eggs  which  produce  the  caterpillars  that 
pass  the  winter;  this  is  the  life  history  in  eastern 
Massachusetts,  but  in  central  New  York  there  ap- 
pears to  be  but  one  generation. 

Control — Root  up  and  burn  the  infested  corn- 
stalks some  time  during  the  winter. 

The  corn  root-aphid  ^"^  {Aphis  maidiradicis) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  aphid  is  closely  associated  with  the  corn- 
field ant  (Lasius  niger,  var.  americamts),  in  fact, 
seems  dependent  on  it  for  its  existence;  in  the  fall 
the  egg-laying  females  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  gal- 
leries of  the  ant's  nests  and  the  ants  care  for  the 

isVinal  and  Caffrey— Mass.  Expt.   Stat.,  Bull.  189. 
14  Davis— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  891. 


CLOVER  INSECTS  123 

eggs  through  the  winter;  during  the  latter  part  of 
March  or  first  of  April  the  eggs  hatch  and  the  ants 
transfer  the  young  Hce  to  the  roots  of  smartweed, 
crabgrass,  or  purslane  along  which  the  ants  have 
previously  made  galleries ;  two  or  three  generations 
of  lice  are  produced  here,  but  as  soon  as  the  young 
corn  comes  up  the  ants  make  tunnels  along  the  roots 
of  the  corn  plants  and  bring  the  lice  over  from  the 
weeds ;  during  the  season  there  may  be  many  gener- 
ations of  the  lice;  they  suck  out  the  juices  of  roots 
and  starve  the  plants. 

Control — Rotation  of  crops  is  of  advantage,  no 
crop  other  than  corn  being  attacked  except  cotton; 
dilute  Yx  pound  of  oil  of  tansy  with  2  quarts  of 
alcohol  and  i  quart  of  water  and  thoroughly  mix 
this  with  100  pounds  of  bone  meal;  distribute  it 
over  an  acre  with  a  fertilizer  attachment  to  the 
planter. 

The  chinch  bug  (Blissus  leucopterus) 
The  pest  often  attacks  corn  as  well  as  wheat  and 
becomes  very  injurious  where  it  is  abundant.     It 
has  been  discussed  under  wheat  pests. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  CORN 

Stalk-borer  (Papaipema  nifela). 
Seed-corn  maggot  (Phorbia  fusiceps). 
Northern  corn  root-worm  (Diabrotica  longicor- 
nis). 

Fall  army  worm  (Laphygma  friigiperda) . 

CLOVER  AND  ALFALFA  PESTS 

Clover  root-borer  ^^   (Hylastimis  obscurus) 

Order — Coleoptera 
A  small,  dark-brown  beetle  i-io  of  an  inch  long 

15  Folsom — Illinois  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  134. 
Howard — U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Circ.  4. 


124  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

imported  from  Europe  that  works  on  second-year 
and  older  clover  roots;  eggs  laid  in  May  and  June 
in  cavities  dug  in  the  crown  or  in  roots  and  larvae 
bore  galleries  in  the  roots,  causing  plants  to  wilt 
and  break  off  at  crown;  pup?e  form  in  cavities  in 
roots  and  adults  appear  by  October  but  remain  in 
roots  over  winter,  feeding  when  not  dormant ;  some 
of  the  larvcX  also  pass  the  winter  in  the  roots;  at- 
tacks alfalfa,  red  clover,  mammoth  clover  and 
alsike. 

Control — Plow  an  infested  field  immediately 
after  hay  gathered;  never  allow  clover  to  stand 
more  than  two  years  if  it  becomes  infested. 

Clover  leaf-beetle  ^^  (Hypera  punctata) 
Order — Coleoptera 

A  snout  beetle  which  works  on  the  leaves,  mostly 
at  night ;  the  grubs  also  work  in  a  similar  manner ; 
most  of  its  injury  is  done  in  May  and  June;  when 
full  grown  the  grubs  change  to  pupse  in  peculiar, 
yellowish  lace-like  cocoons  of  silk  in  the  soil  or  at 
the  bases  of  the  plants ;  beetles  usually  hibernate  but 
many  die  before  spring;  larvae  of  all  sizes  pass  the 
winter  under  debris  among  the  plants  on  the 
ground;  these  complete  their  growth  in  spring  and 
the  beetles  appear  in  June  and  July ;  they  do  not  lay 
their  eggs  until  September;  there  is  in  the  North 
usually  but  one  generation. 

Control — A  fungous  disease  usually  kills  the 
grubs  in  most  localities;  plow  under  the  infested 
fields  after  second  season,  thus  destroying  the  early 
stages  of  the  insect. 

Clover  flower-midge  ^^  (Dasyncura 
leguminicola) 
Order — Diptera 
This  fly  often  prevents  the  formation  of  seed; 

16, 17  Folsom—Illinois  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  134. 


CLOVER  INSECTS  125 

eggs  are  laid  in  green  flower-heads  and  the  maggots 
suck  out  the  contents  of  ovary;  when  grown  the 
maggots  enter  the  ground  and  pupate;  the  insect 
passes  the  winter  as  a  larva  in  the  soil  or  in  dead 
clover  heads;  there  are  two  broods  and  a  partial 
third;  most  damage  to  seed  crop  is  done  during 
August  or  first  part  of  September;  most  injury 
occurs  to  second-year  clover  and  keeps  increasing 
as  clover  is  allowed  to  stand. 

Control — Cut  first  crop  of  clover  as  early  as 
possible  to  allow  seed  to  form  early  ahead  of  second 
generation  of  midges ;  pasturing  the  first  crop  does 
almost  as  well. 

Clover  seed-chalcid  '^  {Bnichophagus  funchris) 
Order — Hymenoptera 

This  small  wasp-like  insect  is  one  of  our  worst 
clover  pests ;  the  tiny  larvae  eat  out  the  insides  of 
the  seeds  leaving  only  a  thin  shell ;  the  insects  pass 
the  winter  mostly  as  larvae  in  the  seeds  on  the 
ground;  the  adults  appear  about  May  isth  and 
thrust  their  eggs  into  the  developing  ovaries  of  the 
flowers  of  clover ;  second  brood  of  flies  appears  in 
July  and  August;  injury  is  greatest  to  the  second- 
year  clover. 

Control — Cut  first  crop  early,  as  soon  as  the 
field  comes  into  bloom ;  plow  up  clover  after  second 
crop,  plow  early  in  spring. 

The  alfalfa  weevil  ^^  (Phytononms  posticus) 
Order — Coleoptera 

An  European  snout-weevil  first  found  injuring 
alfalfa  in  Utah  in  1904;  it  is  found  in  a  small  arek 
in  Utah,  southern  Idaho  and  southwestern  Wyom- 
ing; the  winter  is  passed  as  adults  in  the  fields;  in 

18,  20^  21  Folsom— Illinois  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.   134. 

19  Reeves,  Miles,  et  al.— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  741. 


126  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

early  spring  they  lay  eggs  in  the  clover  stems;  these 
hatch  and  the  larvae  mature  in  29  to  58  days ;  each 
one  spins  a  lace-like  cocoon  among  leaves  or  rub- 
bish on  the  ground;  the  pupal  stage  lasts  6  to  14 
days  and  the  weevils  of  the  new  generation  begin 
to  appear  in  June ;  these  lay  some  eggs  in  the  fall. 

Control — Spray  fields  as  soon  as  the  weevils 
begin  feeding  in  April  with  arsenite  of  zinc,  4 
pounds  to  100  gallons  and  put  from  50  to  100  gal- 
lons on  an  acre;  cut  first  crop  by  middle  of  May; 
brush-drag  field  to  kill  weevils. 

Clover  seed-caterpillar  ^^  (Enarnionia 
interstinctana) 
Order — Lepidoptera 
The  caterpillars  of  this  moth  eat  out  cavities  in 
the  heads  of  clover  and  often  become  very  destruc- 
tive ;  there  are  three  broods  a  season ;  probably  pass 
the  winter  as  larvas  occasionally,  usually  as  pupae. 

Control — Cut  and  store  hay  crops  early  in  June ; 
do  not  allow  clover  to  run  more  than  two  years; 
pasture  clover  in  fall  of  first  year. 

Clover  hay-worm  -^   (Hypsopygia  costalis) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

This  hay-worm  works  in  stacked  or  stored  clover, 
eating  much  of  it  and  contaminating  much  more 
with  webs  of  silk  and  particles  of  excrement,  mak- 
ing the  hay  unfit  for  fodder. 

Control — In  a  barn,  old  hay  should  be  removed 
and  burned  if  infested;  a  stack  should  be  raised 
above  the  ground  on  old  logs  or  rails;  salt  bottom 
of  stack  up  two  or  three  feet. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  CLOVER 
AND  ALFALFA 

Clover  leaf-midge  (Dasyncura  trifoUi). 
Clover  stem-borer  {Langiiria  mozardi). 


COTTON  INSECTS  127 

Clover  sitones  (Sifones  flavescens) . 
Clover-root  mealy  bug  {Pseiidococciis  trifolii). 
Alfalfa  looper  {Aiitographa  gamma  calif ornica). 
Alfalfa  caterpillar  {Eiirymtis  eurythemc) . 
Clover-root  curculio  {Sitones  hispiduhts). 
Alfalfa  gall  midge  (Asphondylia  miki). 
Lesser  clover-leaf  weevil  (Phytonomus  nigriro- 
sfris). 

COTTON  PESTS 

Mexican  cotton  boll-weevil  "  (Anfhonomtis 

grandis) 

Order — Coleoptera 

Introduced  from  Mexico  about  1892;  a  grayish- 
black  snout  beetle,  about  >^  to  1-3  of  an  inch  in 
length;  punctures  squares  and  bolls  and  deposits 
eggs  in  them;  life  cycle  from  15  to  20  days;  several 
generations  in  a  season  and  all  stages  passed  in 
squares  and  bolls;  passes  winter  as  adults  and 
causes  millions  of  dollars  loss  each  year. 

Control — Plant  cotton  early;  plant  early  vari- 
eties and  hasten  maturity  by  fertilization  and  culti- 
vation ;  plant  wide  in  rows ;  burn  infested  plants  in 
fall  to  destroy  all  stages  of  weevil ;  rotate  crops  and 
diversify;  poison  with  calcium  arsenate. 

Cotton  worm  ^^  (Alabama  argillacea) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  cotton  moth  lays  its  eggs  on  leaves  of  cot- 
ton ;  the  eggs  hatch  in  3  to  4  days ;  young  larva  feeds 
for  a  time  on  the  undersides  of  leaves  but  soon  be- 
gins to  devour  leaves  entirely;  it  molts  five  times 
and  attains  its  growth  in  2  or  3  weeks  and  then 
changes  to  a  pupa  in  a  flimsy  cocoon  in  a  leaf;  life 

22  Hunter— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  344. 

23  Hunter— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Circ.  153. 


128  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

cycle  about  four  weeks  on  the  average ;  several  ^gen- 
erations during-  a  season ;  passes  winter  as  adults  in 
tropical  regions  south  of  the  United  States;  mi- 
grates northward  in  spring. 

Control — Dusting  cotton  with  powdered  arse- 
nate of  lead  best  method;  this  insect  is  now  held  to 
be  of  value  in  controlling  the  boll  weevil  and  there- 
fore is  not  foueht  as  it  used  to  be. 


Cotton  bollworm  -^  (HcliofJiis  obsoleta) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

One  of  the  serious  pests  of  cotton;  moth  deposits 
ribbed  eggs  on  leaves  of  cotton;  larva  feeds  for  a 
short  time  on  leaves  but  soon  bores  into  a  boll  where 
it  destroys  the  lint;  life  cycle  about  30  days  in  sum- 
mer; four  generations  a  season;  passes  winter  as 
pupa  3  to  6  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  soil ;  also 
attacks  corn  and  tomatoes. 

Control — Use  trap  crops  of  corn;  plough  land 
thoroughly  during  fall  and  winter ;  plant  crop  early 
in  spring;  rotate  and  diversify  crops. 

The  pink  cotton  bollw^orm  -^  (Pccfinoplwra 
gossypicUa ) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  parent  is  a  small  grayish-brown  moth  which 
probably  came  from  India  or  Africa  and  is  now  es- 
tablished in  Brazil,  Mexico,  and  Hawaii;  first  found 
in  United  States  in  191 7  in  Texas. 

Eggs  are  laid  singly  or  in  groups  on  bolls  and 
hatch  in  4  to  12  days;  the  larv?e  burrow  in  the  bolls 
and  become  mature  in  20  to  30  days;  pupal  stage 
passed  inside  of  boll  and  lasts  from  10  to  20  days; 
life  cycle  35  to  50  days,  and  there  are  from  4  to  6 
generations  a  year ;  winter  is  passed  in  larval  stage. 

24  Quaintance  and  Brues — U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  so. 

25  Bysck— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr,  Jr.  Agr.  Res.,  Vol,  IX,  p.  343. 


COTTON  INSECTS  129 

Control — No  adequate  methods  of  control 
known;  attempts  are  being-  made  to  exterminate  in 
this  country. 

The  red  spider  "'''  (TcfrauycJuts  fclariits) 
O  r  de  r — Ac  a  r  i  n  a 

The  red  spider  has  been  reported  on  183  species 
of  plants  many  of  which  are  cultivated  forms ;  it  is 
a  serious  pest  in  greenhouses  and  one  of  the  injuri- 
ous pests  of  cotton. 

The  winter  is  passed  in  the  south  in  the  adult 
stage  on  several  wild  plants  and  especially  on  culti- 
vated violets;  the  eggs,  laid  on  the  undersides  of 
the  leaves  of  cotton,  hatch  in  about  4  days  and  the 
female  mite  becomes  mature  in  about  10  days;  the 
first  spring  brood  matures  during  March  or  early 
April  in  South  Carolina  and  there  is  opportunity 
for  from  12  to  17  broods. 

Control — Destroy  all  weeds,  especially  poke- 
weed,  about  the  fields  and  plow  fields  in  fall  if 
possible ;  destroy  or  spray  cultivated  violets ;  watch 
for  infested  cotton  plants  early  and  pull  them  up 
and  destroy  them;  finally  spray  cotton  with  potas- 
sium sulphide,  i  oz.  to  2  gallons  of  water,  or  with 
lime-sulphur  or  flour  paste,  i  pound  flour  to  i  gal- 
lon water  made  into  a  paste  and  then  diluted  at  the 
rate  of  i  part  of  paste  to  9  parts  of  water. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  COTTON 

Cotton  aphid  (Aphis  gossypii). 
Cotton  root-louse  (Aphis  maidiradicis). 
Cotton  stalk-borer  (Ataxia  crypt  a). 
Cotton  stainer  (Dysdcrciis  suUtrellus), 

26  McGregor— U,  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  831. 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  STORED 
GRAIN  \  - 

It  is  estimated  that  stored  grain  insects  cause  an 
annual  loss  in  this  country  of  at  least  $200,000,000. 
They  are  more  destructive  in  the  southern  United 
States  although  injury  seems  to  be  growing  more 
common  in  northern  latitudes.  Most  of  the  stored 
grain  insects  in  this  country  have  been  introduced 
from  foreign  countries.  It  is  said  that  over  fifty 
species  live  habitually  or  occasionally  in  stored 
grains  and  grain  products.  Not  more  than  a  dozen 
of  these  are  of  primary  importance.  The  more  im- 
portant ones  are:  The  Angoumois  grain  moth 
(Sifofroga  ccrcalclla),  the  granary  weevil  (Calan- 
dra  grauaria),  the  rice  weevil  (Calaiidra  ory::cc), 
the  saw-toothed  grain  beetle  (Silz^amts  surinamcn- 
sis),  the  Mediterranean  flour  moth  (EpJicsfia  kiicJi- 
nicUa),  the  Indian  meal  moth  (Plodia  inter piinc- 
tella),  the  pea  weevil  (Mylabnts  pisontm),  and  the 
bean  weevil  (AcantJwsccIidcs  obfccfus). 

Control — One  of  the  best  w^ays  to  keep  seed 
corn,  seed  peas,  wheat,  beans,  etc.,  is  to  store  them 
in  barrels  or  tight  boxes;  fill  the  boxes  or  barrels 
within  4  or  5  inches  of  the  top  and  cover;  if  wee- 
vils or  moths  get  in  them  pour  carbon  bisulphide,  at 
the  rate  of  Yz  teacupful  to  a  barrel  of  grain,  into  a 
tin  dish  and  set  this  on  top  of  the  grain  and  cover 
the  box  or  barrel  with  old  blankets;  leave  covered 
3  or  4  days;  the  liquid  will  evaporate  and  the  gas 

1  Chittenden— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Far's'  Bull.  4=;. 
^  Back  and  Duckett— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  983. 

130 


STORED  GRAIN  INSECTS 


131 


will  settle  down  through  the  grain  and  kill  the  in- 
sects ;  do  not  go  near  the  boxes  with  a  light  of  any 
kind  until  the  covers  have  been  removed  and  the 
boxes  thoroughly  aired. 

In  general,  where  bins  or  granaries  are  actually 
air-tight  or  nearly  so,  from  3  to  5  pounds  of  carbon 
bisulphide  to  1000  cubic  feet  of  space  should  be  suf- 
ficient. Under  ordinary  circumstances  from  15  to 
20  pounds  per  1000  cubic  feet  are  necessary  owing 
to  the  cracks  and  openings.^  Best  results  will  be 
obtained  when  the  temperature  is  above  75°  F. 

Within  the  last  few  years  heat  *  has  been  used  to 
exterminate  stored  grain  insects,  especially  in  flour 
mills.  The  radiation  surface  is  increased  until  a 
temperature  of  118°  to  125°  F.  can  be  maintained 
for  several  hours. 

A  very  simple  method  of  preventing  injury  to 
peas  and  beans  is  by  the  use  of  air-slaked  lime.'' 
For  small  quantities  use  four  parts  of  lime  to  one 
part  of  seeds;  for  quantities  from  a  peck  to  three 
bushels  use  equal  amounts  of  lime  and  seeds;  for 
larger  amounts  use  one  part  by  weight  of  lime  and 
two  parts  of  seeds.  The  seeds  and  lime  should  be 
mixed  somewhat  when  ready  for  storage. 

INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  GREENHOUSE  PLANTS 

The  greenhouse  leaf-tier  ^  (Phlycfaenia 

ferrugalis) 

Order — Lepidoptera 

The  parent  insect  is  a  rusty-brown  moth  that  lays 
its  flat  eggs  in  groups  of  2  to  12  on  the  undersides 
of  the  leaves  of  greenhouse  plants ;  they  hatch  in  10 
to  12  days;  the  caterpillars  are  pale  greenish-white 

3  Hinds— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  799. 

4  Dean— Kan.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  189. 

5  Metcalf— Jr.  Ec.  Ent.,  Vol.  X,  p.  97. 


132  INSECTS  OF  ECONOIMIC  IMPORTANCE 

in  color  with  a  narrow,  dark-green  stripe  down  the 
back  and  about  J4  of  an  inch  long  when  mature; 
they  tie  the  leaves  together  and  feed  on  them,  dis- 
figuring the  plants;  the  caterpillar  becomes  grown 
in  from  15  to  20  days  and  pupates  between  two 
leaves  or  in  a  folded  leaf;  in  about  one  week  the 
moth  appears ;  in  greenhouses  it  breeds  all  the  year 
and  attacks  chrysanthemums,  geranium,  cinerarias, 
sweet  peas  and  other  plants. 

Control — Spray  wnth  arsenate  of  lead,  2]/^ 
pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water,  as  soon  as  the  cater- 
pillars appear  and  hit  the  undersides  of  the  leaves ; 
hand-pick  the  caterpillars. 

The  greenhouse  w^hite-fly  "^  (Trialciirodcs 

vaporarioriim) 

Order — Hemiptera 

The  adult  insect  has  four  pure  white  wangs  and 
is  about  1-16  of  an  inch  in  length;  the  young  insects 
are  oval,  flat,  and  whitish  and  cling  closely  to  the 
undersides  of  the  leaves  where  they  suck  out  the 
juices. 

The  small  greenish  eggs  attached  to  the  under- 
sides of  the  leaves  hatch  in  about  eleven  days  and 
the  young  insects  attain  their  growth  in  from  3  to  4 
weeks ;  there  are  several  generations  each  year,  and 
the  injury  often  becomes  very  severe. 

Control — An  all-night  fumigation  with  hydro- 
cyanic acid  gas,  i  ounce  of  cyanide  to  3500  cubic 
feet  'of  space,  has  given  good  results;  it  is  neces- 
sary to  fumigate  at  intervals  of  ten  days  to  two 
weeks.  Spraying  with  soap,  i  pound  in  6  gallons 
of  w^atei;  is  of  advantage,  but  if  the  solution  is  ap- 
plied frequently  the  soap  should  be  washed  from 
the  plants  occasionally  by  spraying  with  clear 
water. 


GREENHOUSE  PLANTS  INSECTS  133 

The  OBLIQUE-BANDED  LEAF-ROLLER  ^    (ArcIupS 

rosace  ana) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  light-brown  moth  has  three,  more  or  less, 
dark-brown,  broad  oblique  bands  on  each  wing;  she 
deposits  her  yellowish-green  eggs  in  patches  on 
the  leaves;  they  hatch  in  8  to  12  days  and  the  green 
caterpillars  eat  the  leaves  and  petals  and  buds  of 
the  rose  and  become  grown  in  3  to  6  weeks;  each 
caterpillar  pupates  for  two  weeks  in  a  folded  leaf; 
there  are  at  least  two  generations  a  season. 

Control — Hand-pick  larvae;  spraying  with  ar- 
senate of  lead,  2  pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water,  has 
given  good  results  where  the  plants  were  not  too 
crowded. 

The  ROSE  midge  ^  (Dasynetira  rhodophaga) 
Order — Diptera 

The  mosquito-like  midge  lays  its  eggs  just  under 
the  sepals  of  the  flower  buds  or  between  the  leaves 
of  the  leaf  buds;  they  hatch  in  2  days  and  the 
maggots  suck  the  sap  from  the  petals  and  leaves 
and  become  grown  in  from  5  to  7  days;  they 
then  go  into  the  ground  and  pupate  in  tiny  silken 
cocoons;  the  whole  life  cycle  is  passed  in  12  to  16 
days. 

Control — In  latter  part  of  October  cover 
ground  all  over  in  rose  benches  with  tobacco  dust 
^  to  J4  inch  in  depth;  this  will  kill  the  maggots  as 
they  try  to  enter  ground;  fumigate  house  every 
night  for  two  weeks  and  then  every  other  night  for 
a  week  with  nicotine  paper  or  nico-f ume ;  spray  dirt 
walks  with  5%  kerosene  emulsion. 

6^  7^  8  Davis— 27th  Rept.  111.  State  Ent,  p.  98- 
9  Sasscer  and  Borden— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  778. 


134  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

The  ciiRYSANTin>:AiUM  midge  ^^  {DiartJiromyia 

Jiypogcra) 

Order — Diptera 

The  chrysanthemum  midge  is  a  late  comer  to 
America  and  is  ah-eady  causing  considerable  in- 
jury; the  small  mosquito-like  adult  fly  lays  its  tiny 
eggs  among  the  hairs  on  a  leaf  where  it  hatches  in 
about  24  hours;  the  maggots  cause  galls  on  the 
leaves,  petioles,  or  buds ;  the  galls  may  be  so  abun- 
dant as  to  cause  malformation  of  plants,  check 
growth,  and  prevent  blooming. 

Control — A  majority  of  the  adult  flies  seem  to 
issue  after  midnight ;  therefore  fumigation  with  nic- 
otine should  be  commenced  at  midnight  and  carried 
on  every  other  night  for  2  or  3  weeks;  spraying 
with  nicotine  sulphate,  i  pint  to  500  pints  of  water 
with  an  ounce  of  soap  to  each  gallon,  has  proven 
effective;  an  application  should  be  made  every 
fourth  or  fifth  day  for  a  month. 

Scale  insects  and  mealy  bugs  ^^ 
There  are  many  species  of  scale  insects  that  are 
injurious  in  greenhouses.  The  soft  scale  (Coccus 
hcspcridiim)  that  infests  palms,  croton,  ficus,  et  al. ; 
the  hemispherical  scale  (Saissctia  hcmisphccrica) 
that  occurs  on  palms,  orchids,  croton  and  other 
plants;  the  oleander  scale  (Aspidiofus  hcdcrcu),  the 
fern  scale  (Hcmichionaspis  aspidistrcu)  and  the 
white  pineapple  scale  (Diaspis  hromclUcc)  are  some 
of  the  more  common  ones.  There  are  also  two 
common  species  of  mealy  bugs  that  occur  in  green- 
houses on  palms,  coleus,  umbrella  plants,  et  al. 
These  are  Pscudococcus  adonidmn  and  Psciidocciis 
citri. 

Control  of  scale  insects — Whale-oil  soap,  i 

10  Guyton— Jr.  Ec.  Ent.,  Vol.  12,  p.  162. 

11  Davis— 27th  Kept.  111.  State  Ent.,  p.  122. 


GREENHOUSE  PLANTS  INSECTS  135 

pound  to  I  gallon  of  warm  water,  is  efficient  for 
those  species  on  palms,  ficus  and  similar  plants;  it 
is  unsafe  on  ferns ;  fir-tree  oil,  i  part  to  20  parts  of 
water,  is  useful  for  the  species  on  ferns ;  fumigation 
with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas  is  most  effective  for  the 
mealy  bugs;  one  should  consult  Farmers'  Bulletin 
880  of  the  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr. 

The  red  spider  ^"  (Tetranyclius  felarius) 
Order — Acarina 

This  pest  has  been  discussed  at  length  under  pests 
of  cotton ;  in  greenhouses  it  attacks  the  rose,  violet, 
carnation,  clematis,  salvia,  phlox,  and  other  plants. 

Control — Washing  plants  with  clear  w^ater  un- 
der pressure  is  one  of  the  best  methods  of  control ; 
ivory  soap,  ^  pound  dissolved  in  6  gallons  of 
water,  is  very  satisfactory;  nicotine  sulphate  plus 
soap  is  also  effective;  fumigation  with  tobacco  and 
painting  pipes  with  sulphur  are  not  effective. 

The  GREENHOUSE  THRiPS  ^^  (HeliofJirips     ■ 
hcemorrhoidalis) 
Order — Thysanoptera 

The  adult  is  a  tiny,  dark-brown  insect  only  1-24 
of  an  inch  in  length;  the  young  are  whitish  at  first 
but  become  reddish  later;  they  extract  the  juices 
from  the  leaves  and  the  leaves  become  spotted  and 
covered  with  drops  of.  a  reddish  fluid  excreted  by 
the  insects;  the  eggs  stuck  in  the  leaves  hatch  in  8 
days  and  the  young  become  mature  in  14  to  26  days. 

Control — Fumigation  with  nicotine  papers  or 
with  volatile  nicotine  extracts  is  effective  if  carried 
on  at  night  and  repeated  every  week  or  ten  days; 
fumigation  with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas,  i  ounce  so- 
dium cyanide  to  1000  cu.  ft.,  for  carnations  for  i 
hour  at  a  temperature  of  54°,  has  been  successful; 

12  Ewing— Oregon  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.   121. 

13  Russell— U.  S.  Bii.  Ent,  Circ.  151. 


136  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

in  general,  Yi  ounce  sodium  cyanide  to  looo  cu.  ft 
for  I  hour  repeated  in  ten. days  is  satisfactory. 
Some  greenhouse  aphids  ^* 

There  are  two  aphids,  the  ''black-fly"  (Macrosi- 
phimi  sanborni)  and  the  green  aphid  (Aphis  riifo- 
maciilata)  that  are  sometimes  present  on  chrysan- 
themums in  large  numbers  and  are  decidedly  injuri- 
ous ;  so  far  as  known  these  two  aphids  feed  only  on 
this  plant  and  they  often  occur  intermixed  on  the 
same  plant. 

The  rose  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of  two  species 
of  plant  lice,  Macrosiphiim  rosce,  and  Myzus  ro- 
sarum;  both  of  them  are  greenish  in  color  and  some- 
times the  tender  terminal  shoots  of  the  plants  are 
covered  with  them. 

There  are  also  two  aphids  that  injure  violets 
sometimes  seriously;  one  of  these,  known  as  the 
"black-fly"  (RJwpalosiphum  violcu),  is  often  abun- 
dant about  the  crowns  of  the  plants;  the  other, 
known  as  the  "  green-fly"  (Rhopalosiphum  persi- 
cce),  frequents  all  parts  of  the  plant. 

The  carnation  is  often  badly  injured  by  the  com- 
mon green  aphid  {Myzus  persicce)  which  is  so 
abundant  on  greenhouse  plants  and  many  outdoor 
plants. 

Control  of  greenhouse  aphids — For  some 
aphids  ivory  soap,  i  pound  to  6  gallons  of  water,  is 
a  simple,  safe  remedy ;  for  others,  nicotine  sulphate, 
I  teaspoonful  to  a  gallon  of  water,  with  about  an 
ounce  of  soap  added,  is  efficient ;  fumigation  with 
nicotine  papers  or  some  of  the  volatile  nicotine  so- 
lutions is  satisfactory  if  care  is  taken  to  use  the 
right  amount  for  a  given  space  and  the  house  is 
tight ;  fumigation  with  hydrocyanic  gas  is  effective 
if  correctly  done. 

14  Davis— 27th  Kept,  111.  State  Ent.,  p.  116. 


INSECTS   INJURIOUS   TO   SHADE   TREES 

The  elm  leaf-beetle^  {Galeriicella  luteola) 
Order — Coleoptera 

Introduced  from  Europe  and  first  found  here  in 
1834  in  Baltimore;  the  beetle  is  about  one-fourth 
of  an  inch  long,  brownish-yellow  in  color  with  a 
dark  line  along  each  side  of  its  back;  the  adults  and 
larvae  eat  the  leaves  and  defoliate  the  trees. 

The  full-grown  beetles  hibernate  in  cracks  and 
crevices,  especially  in  attics  of  houses,  and  appear 
in  spring  as  the  leaves  are  putting  out;  they  lay 
their  orange-colored  eggs  on  the  undersides  of  the 
leaves;  these  hatch  in  5  or  6  days;  the  grubs  eat 
the  leaves  and  mature  in  15  to  20  days  and  pupate 
at  the  bases  of  the  trees  on  top  of  the  ground ;  in  6 
to  10  days  the  adults  appear  and  in  New  York  there 
is  a  second  generation. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead  as  trees 
come  in  full  leaf  for  the  beetles  and  again  about  3 
weeks  later  for  the  grubs;  use  3  to  4  pounds  to  50 
gallons  of  water;  the  Gypsy-moth  Commission 
sprays  but  once  and  uses  5  pounds  to  50  gallons; 
they  spray  as  soon  as  trees  come  into  good  leafage. 

The  elm  leaf-miner  ^  (KaliosyspJiinga  idmi) 
Order — Hymenoptera 

The  leaf-miner  is  another  European  insect  but  it 
works  on  Scotch  and  English  elms;  it  is  a  sawfly 
and  the  larvae  ''blister"  and  kill  the  leaves;  the 
adults  are  small,  shining  black  sawflies,  about  one- 
eighth  of  an  inch  long. 

1  Herrick — Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  333. 
Felt— Bull.  20  of  the  N.  Y.  State  Museum. 

2  Slingerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  233. 
Herrick— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  333. 

137 


138  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

The  eggs  are  laid  in  May  beneath  the  epidermis 
of  the  leaves  and  the  larvae  mine  in  the  tissues  of 
the  leaf  making  large  irregular  mines  or  "blisters" 
in  the  leaves;  they  become  mature  in  July  and  go 
into  the  ground  where  they  make  thin  papery  co- 
coons and  remain  in  them  until  next  spring;  they 
then  change  to  pup?e  and  the  flies  appear  in  May; 
only  one  generation. 

Control — Spray  the  leaves  just  as  the  mines  be- 
gin to  show,  about  first  of  June,  with  nicotine  sul- 
phate, I  pint  to  lOO  gallons  of  water  with  5  pounds 
of  soap. 

The    WHITE-MARKED     TUSSOCK-MOTH  ^     {HcmCVO- 

campa  leiicostigma) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  310 

The  tussock  moth  is  a  native  insect  that  is  very 
injurious  at  times  to  shade-trees  and  fruit-trees; 
the  larva  is  very  striking  in  appearance;  it  is  two 
inches  long  and  bears  four  tufts  or  tussocks  of 
creamy  white  hairs  on  its  back  with  two  long  pen- 
cils of  hairs  on  its  head  and  a  third  on  the  posterior 
end  of  the  abdomen. 

The  moth  lays  its  eggs  in  whitish  masses  in  sum- 
mer on  the  trees ;  they  remain  here  until  the  follow- 
ing spring  and  then  hatch  into  the  caterpillars  that 
strip  the  trees  of  foliage;  these  caterpillars  often 
migrate  from  tree  to  tree;  when  full-grown  they 
make  cocoons  on  the  trees  and  change  to  pupae ;  one 
brood  a  season  except  in  extreme  southeastern  part 
of  State. 

Control — Collect  ^gg  masses  during  fall  and 
winter ;  spray  trees  with  arsenate  of  lead,  3  pounds 
to  50  gallons ;  band  trees  with  cotton  in  June,  July, 
and  August. 

3  Howard— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  99. 


SHADE  TREE  INSECTS  139 

The  fall  web-worm  *  (Hyphantria  textor) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  321 

This  is  a  typical  American  species  and  found 
from  Canada  to  Texas;  it  has  been  recorded  as 
feeding  upon  120  species  of  trees;  the  moths  are 
white  or  spotted  with  black  and  conspicuous;  the 
larvae  make  ugly  silken  nests  all  over  affected  trees. 

The  moths  lay  400  to  500  eggs  in  clusters  on  the 
leaves ;  the  caterpillars  feed  in  masses  and  spin  webs 
enclosing  leaves;  they  pupate  in  cocoons  just  below 
the  surface  of  the  soil  or  on  ground  under  trash  or 
•  about  trunks  of  trees;  farther  south  there  are  two 
broods,  but  only  one  in  central  and  northern  New 
York;  the  pupae  pass  the  winter  in  cocoons. 

Control — Cut  out  nests  of  larvae;  spray  with  ar- 
senate of  lead  around  the  nests  of  the  larvae. 

Bronze  birch-borer  ^  (Agrilus  auxins) 
Order — Coleoptera 

This  is  a  small  olive-bronze  colored  beetle  about 
one-half  an  inch  long  that  is  killing  so  many  of  the 
white  birches  in  New  York  State.  It  attacks  the 
top  branches  first  but  gradually  spreads  to  all  parts 
of  the  tree.  The  larvae  bore  through  the  sap-wood 
just  beneath  the  bark  and  sometimes  deeper  into 
the  solid  wood.  The  larvae  pupate  in  cells  beneath 
the  bark  and  in  May  or  early  June  the  beetles  make 
half-round  exit  holes  in  the  bark  and  emerge 
through  these. 

Control — The  only  way  of  arresting  the  spread 
of  the  pest  and  stopping  the  death  of  healthy  trees 
is  to  cut  down  and  burn  the  infested  ones  before 
May  first. 

*  Felt— Insects  Affecting  Park  and  Woodland  Trees,  Vol.  I   p    142 
5  Shngerland— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  234. 


140  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

Willow  and  poplar  borer '^  {Cryptorhynchus 

lapathi) 

Order — Coleoptera 

This  is  a  beetle  somewhat  resembhng-  the  plum 
curculio,  but  much  larger,  that  is  becoming  a  seri- 
ous menace  to  poplar  and  willow  trees  both  in  the 
nursery  and  on  the  lawn.  The  larv?e  bore  through 
the  wood  finally  causing  the  death  of  the  tree.  The 
presence  of  the  larvae  is  indicated  by  the  appearance 
of  sawdust  and  particles  of  excrement  thrown  out- 
side; the  yellowish  eggs  are  laid,  each  in  a  cavity 
dug  in  the  bark ;  it  hatches  in  2  or  3  weeks  and  the 
partly  grown  grub  passes  the  winter  just  beneath 
the  outer  bark  and  completes  its  growth  the  next 
spring,  the  adult  beetles  appearing  during  the  lat- 
ter part  of  July ;  there  is  one  generation. 

Control — Apply  an  emulsion  of  carbolineum 
avenarius  to  the  trunks  of  trees  to  a  height  of  4  or  5 
feet  from  ground;  to  make  emulsion,  dissolve  i 
pound  of  sodium  carbonate  in  i  quart  of  hot  water 
and  add  i  quart  of  the  carbolineum ;  stir  vigorously 
and  take  i  part  to  2  parts  of  water. 

Hickory  bark-borer"^  (Scolyfus  quadrispinosus) 
Order — Coleoptera 

The  adult  is  a  small  brown  or  black  beetle  about 
one-fifth  of  an  inch  long;  the  leaves  wilt  and  twigs 
die  in  midsummer  and  the  bark  will  be  found  full 
of  small  shotlike  holes  through  which  the  beetles 
have  emerged;  it  is  a  serious  pest  to  hickory  trees. 

The  beetles  appear  last  of  June  to  last  of  July; 
they  bore  in  young  twigs,  terminal  buds  and  green 
nuts;  females  make  galleries  just  under  bark  in 
sapwood  and  lay  eggs  in  niches  along  the  sides ;  lar- 

6  Matheson— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  388. 

^  Felt — Insects  Afifecting  Park  and  Woodland  Trees,  Vol.  I,  p.  275. 


SHADE  TREE  INSECTS  141 

v?e  tunnel  through  sapwood  and  kill  trees;  grubs 
pass  winter  nearly  full  grown-  in  galleries  under 
bark. 

Control — Cut  out  badly  infested  trees  and  af- 
fected portions  of  others  and  burn  before  June. 

The  snow^-white  linden  moth  ^  (Ennomos 

siibsignarms) 

Order — Lepidoptera 

Half  a  century  ago  this  insect  was  a  pest  of 
shade-trees  in  Brooklyn  and  Philadelphia;  became 
abundant  again  in  1907,  and  then  was  injurious  in 
forests  of  New  York  for  four  years ;  the  moths  are 
pure  white  and  have  the  habit  of  appearing  in  enor- 
mous numbers  around  lights  in  cities  where  their 
appearance  has  been  compared  to  snowstorms. 

Eggs  are  laid  on  branches  in  masses  of  20  to  100 
or  more  in  June  and  July ;  hatch  the  next  spring  in 
April  and  May;  caterpillars  strip  leaves  and  mature 
in  June  and  July  and  pupate  in  loose  cocoons  on 
leaves;  moths  appear  from  middle  of  June  to  last 
of  July  and  soon  deposit  eggs ;  one  brood  a  year. 

Control — On  fruit  trees  spray  with  arsenate  of 
lead,  2}4  pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water;  no  control 
for  forest  trees  known. 

The  brown-tail  moth  ^  (Euproctis  chrysorrhoca) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

Probably  introduced  from  Holland  on  shipments 
of  roses  by  nursery  in  Somerville,  Mass.,  about 
1893;  now  in  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Con- 
necticut, New  Hampshire  and  Maine;  the  larvae 
feed  on  pear,  apple,  cherry,  peach,  and  other  fruit- 
trees  and  on  forest-trees;  the  moths  are  pure 
white  with  a  tuft  of  brown  hairs  on  end  of  abdo- 
men, hence  name,  ''brown-tail"  moths;  the  hairs  of 

8  Herrick— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  286. 


142  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

the  larvre  are  brittle  and  barbed  and  when  they 
strike  the  skin  cause  a  nettle  or  rash  quite  serious  to 
some  people. 

Eggs  laid  in  July  in  masses  of  200  to  400  on 
leaves  and  covered  with  brown  hair  from  body  of 
female ;  they  hatch  and  the  larv?e  feed  in  groups  on 
leaves  until  fall  when  they  go  into  hibernation  in 
hibernacula  made  by  webbing  many  leaves  together, 
at  the  ends  of  branches ;  in  the  spring  they  eat  leaves 
again  and  become  full-grown  latter  part  of  June; 
pupate  in  cocoons  in  crevices  of  bark  and  other 
nooks;  moths  appear  in  July;  one  generation  a  sea- 
son. 

Control — Spray  with  arsenate  of  lead  for  cater- 
pillars 3  to  5  pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water ;  cut  out 
nests  of  larv?e  during  dormant  period  of  tree. 

The  gypsy  moth  ^'^  (PorfJictria  dispar) 
Order — Lepidoptera 

The  gypsy  moth  gained  a  foothold  by  the  escape 
of  larv?e  or  eggs  from  breeding  cages  at  Medford, 
Mass.,  about  1869;  ^'^^w  found  in  Connecticut, 
Rhode  Island,  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  and 
]\laine;  the  female  moth  has.  light  buff  wings 
marked  with  dark,  wavy  lines  while  the  male  is 
light  brown  in  color. 

Eggs  laid  in  clusters  of  300  to  400  in  July  and 
covered  with  hair;  they  are  deposited  in  crevices 
of  bark,  brush  piles,  stone-walls,  etc.,  and  hatch 
the  next  spring  in  May;  larvcC  mature  last  of  June 
and  first  of  July  and  pupate  in  various  places  in 
thin  network  of  silk ;  the  moths  appear  in  July  and 
deposit  eggs;  only  one  generation  a  year;  the  food 
plants  are  almost  all  trees,  especially  apple,  oak,  and 
W'illows. 

9, 10  Rogers  and  Burgess— U.  S.  Bii.  Ent.,  Bull.  87. 


SHADE  TREE  INSECTS  143 

Control — Spray  trees  with  arsenate  of  lead,  3 
to  5  pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water ;  burlap  trees  for 
hiding  places  for  larvae  and  then  kill  the  caterpil- 
lars ;  tanglefoot  of  use  in  catching  larvae ;  treat  egg- 
clusters  with  crude  coal-tar  creosote  blackened  with 
lampblack  to  tell  what  ones  have  been  treated. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  SHADE 
TREES 

Pigeon  horn-tail  (Tremcx  columba). 
Maple  borer  {PlagionoUis  speciosns). 
Elm  borer  (Saperda  tridenfata) . 
Maple  scale  (Puhinaria  vitis). 
Leopard  moth  {Zeiizera  pyrina). 
Locust  borer  (Cyllene  robinicE). 
Forest-tent-caterpillar  (Malacosoma  disstria). 
European  elm  scale  (Gossyparia  spuria). 
Evergreen  bagworm  (Thyridopteryx  ephemerce- 
formis). 

Spruce  gall  louse  (Chermes  ahietis). 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  FARM  ANIMALS 
SHEEP  PESTS 

Sheep  botfly  or  head  maggot  ^  (Gisfrus  oz'is) 
Order — Diptera.     Manual,  p.  478 

The  adult  insect  is  a  two-winged  fly  that  deposits 
living  maggots  in  the  nostrils  of  sheep ;  the  maggots 
pass  upward  into  the  nasal  sinuses ;  accounts  record 
the  presence  of  the  maggots  in  the  brain ;  the  mag- 
gots attach  themselves  to  the  delicate  membranes 
by  means  of  two  hooks  and  feed  upon  the  mucous 
secretions,  causing  catarrh  and  staggers ;  when  full- 
grown  the  maggots  are  sneezed  out  through  the 
nostrils  and  go  into  the  ground  to  undergo  their 
transformations;  the  flies  are  most  active  in  June 
and  July;  the  maggots  live  in  the  nose  about  ten 
months;  the  adults  have  no  functional  mouth-parts 
and  do  not  feed. 

Control — Plow  a  piece  of  land  in  pasture  and 
harrow  until  fine  and  dusty  for  sheep  to  stand  on; 
smear  noses  often  in  summer  with  equal  parts  of 
tar  and  grease;  bore  holes  in  a  log  and  put  salt  in 
them  after  w^hich  smear  edges  of  holes  with  tar  and 
grease;  no  medicine  will  reach  grubs;  do  not  use  a 
wire  in  nostrils. 
Itch  or  scab  ^  (Psoropfes  communis  var.  ovis) 
Order — Acarina 

Sheep  scab  is  strictly  a  contagious  disease  and  is 
responsible  for  much  loss  among  western  sheep 
growers,  through  death  of  animals  and  damage  to 

1  Osborn— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  5,  p.  102. 

2  Salmon  and  Stiles — U.  S.  Bu.  An.  Ind.,  Bull.  21. 
Tmes— U.  S.  Dept  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  713. 

144 


SHEEP  INSECTS  145 

wool;  also  exporters  suffer  loss  because  American 
live  stock  are  prohibited  from  Europe. 

Scab  is  caused  by  small  mites  that  work  in  the 
skin  causing  the  wool  to  fall  off  and  producing  large 
scabs  over  the  body;  there  are  four  varieties  of 
mites  that  work  on  sheep  and  cause  scab — the  mite 
causing  the  common  or  "body  scab";  the  mite  cans-- 
ing  the  ''head  scab";  the  mite  causing  the  ''foot 
scab" ;  and  the  mite  causing  the  "follicular  scab" 
affecting  the  eyelids. 

The  common  or  body  scab  is  a  severe  itching  dis- 
ease and  occurs  most  often  on  the  backs  and  sides 
where  the  wool  is  longest;  it  is  the  worst  form  of 
the  disease  in  this  country ;  the  mites  multiply  with 
wonderful  rapidity;  one  female  lays  15  to  24  eggs 
which  hatch  in  a  few  days,  and  in  15  days  the  young 
become  adults ;  in  a  few  months  a  single  female  can 
produce  an  enormous  number  of  progeny. 

Control — When  far  advanced,  soften  the  scab 
with  some  kind  of  grease  or  oil,  and  then  apply 
some  of  the  common  "sheep  dips";  the  active  in- 
gredients in  most  "dips"  are  tobacco,  arsenic  and 
carbolic  acid ;  each  sheep  will  require  from  a  quart 
to  a  gallon;  use  the  dip  at  a  temperature  of  100  de- 
grees in  summer  and  10  degrees  warmer  in  winter; 
a  simple  method  of  treating  a  few  sheep  is  to  turn 
them  on  their  back  and  pour  the  dip  along  the  mid- 
dle line  of  the  venter;  where  large  numbers  are  to 
be  dipped,  special  tanks  are  made ;  a  kerosene  emul- 
sion is  also  a  good  sheep  "dip" ;  a  second  or  third 
dipping  may  be  necessary,  as  the  dips  do  not  often 
kill  the  eggs,  and  another  brood  may  appear  later. 

The  sheep  "tick"  ^  {Melophagiis  ovinns) 
Order — Diptera.     Manual,  p.  488 

A  curious,  degraded,  wingless  insect  belonging 

^  Imes— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  798. 


146  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

to  the  same  order  as  the  i^'ad-flies  and  the  common 
housefly;  it  is  thus  not  a  true  tick;  ver}^  common  on 
sheep,  but  seldom  causes  serious  injury  to  old  sheep; 
lambs  are  often  worried  and  hindered  from  ac- 
quiring fat;  the  "ticks"  cling  very  tenaciously  to 
the  skin  and  suck  the  blood;  the  eggs  are  hatched 
within  the  body  of  the  flies,  and  the  maggot  is 
nourished  there  until  it  is  nearly  full-grown,  and 
is  not  born  until  it  is  nearly  ready  to  change  to  a 
pupa ;  it  is  stuck  to  the  fibers  of  wool ;  each  fly  pro- 
duces from  two  to  fifteen  of  these  brown  puparia, 
one-third  as  large  as  the  mother  fly;  they  are  laid 
in  the  wool  to  which  they  adhere,  and  they  give  out 
the  adult  fly  in  about  three  weeks;  the  "ticks"  are 
most  numerous  in  the  spring,  cause  much  irritation, 
and  hinder  young  lambs  from  making  their  normal 
growth ;  their  whole  life  is  spent  on  the  sheep. 

Control — Keep  the  pen  clean;  after  shearing, 
apply  any  of  the  standard  "dips"  or  kerosene  emul- 
sions. 
The  sheep  louse  (Trichodccfcs  sphccrocepliahis) 

A  biting  louse  that  works  at  the  base  of  the  wool ; 
not  often  abundant. 

CATTLE  PESTS 

The  OX  w^arble,  or  botfly  ^  (Hypodenna  lincata) 
Order — Diptera.     Manual,  p.  478 

The  ox  botfly  is  widely  distributed  in  this  coun- 
try and  Europe;  it  is  found  on  the  buiTalo  (Bison) 
here;  it  causes  much  loss  by  afi^ecting  the  general 
health  of  animals  and  also  by  its  perforations  of 
hides,  thus  lowering  their  value ;  there  is  a  second 
species  in  this  country,  the  European  botfly  {Hypo- 
derma  hovis)  which  is  very  similar  in  appearance 
and  habits. 

4  Hadwen — Canad.  Dept.  Agr.,  Sc.  Ser.,  Bull.  21. 
Hadwen  and  Bruce — Canad.  Dept.  Agr.,  Sc.  Sen,  Bull.  22, 


CATTLE  INSECTS  147 

The  adult  flies  are  about  one-half  inch  in  length 
and  bee-like  in  appearance;  the  eggs  are  laid  on  the 
hair  around  the  heel  and  on  the  lower  part  of  the 
leg,  and  on  other  parts  of  the  body;  they  hatch  in 
4  to  7  days  and  the  larvae  bore  directly  down  a  hair 
follicle  and  get  beneath  the  skin;  they  work  their 
way  along  beneath  the  skin  to  the  oesophagus ;  from 
here  they  work  down  to  the  diaphragm,  up  a  rib, 
and  finally  to  the  back  beneath  the  skin;  there  the 
larv?e  produce  swellings  or  warbles  and  after  com- 
pleting their  growth  wriggle  out  and  go  into  the 
ground  in  the  spring;  here  they  change  to  pupae  and 
finally  the  adult  fiy  appears ;  the  flies  seem  to  annoy 
cattle  very  much  although  they  do  not  bite  or  sting; 
50%  of  the  cattle  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  are  af- 
fected. 

Control — Apply  kerosene  or  grease  to  the 
*'warbles"  in  the  winter,  or  as  soon  as  noticed;  this 
will  close  up  the  breathing  holes  of  the  maggots  and 
cause  their  death;  remove  by  squeezing  or  other- 
wise, the  maggots  from  the  ''warbles." 

The  horn-fly  ^  (Hcematobia  serrata  =  Lyperosia 

irritans) 

Order — Diptera 

The  horn-fly  is  another  importation  from  Eu- 
rope; it  came  to  America  in  1886  and  landed  near 
Philadelphia  apparently;  it  is  now  distributed  all 
over  the  country ;  the  adults  are  about  half  as  large 
as  the  house-fly;  they  annoy  cattle  very  much  and 
cause  a  large  loss  to  the  milk  supply. 

The  flies  lay  their  eggs  in  fresh  cow  droppings; 
the  maggots  attain  their  growth  there  in  a  few 
days  and  burrow  just  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
earth  and  change  to  pupae;  the  adults  soon  appear; 
the  whole  life  cycle  may  be  gone  through  in  two 

5  Osborn— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent,  Bull.  5,  p.  114. 


148  INSFXTS  OF  ECONO^lIC  IMPORTANCE 

weeks  and  there  are  four  or  five  broods  in  a  season. 
The  adults  have  a  habit  of  gatherin^^  on  the  bases 
of  the  horns  but  cause  no  injury  at  this  place;  the 
flies  are  common  from  ]\Iay  until  frosts  of  autumn. 
Control — Almost  any  greasy  substance,  like 
axle  grease,  fish  oil,  kerosene  emulsion,  crude  pe- 
troleum, etc.,  applied  to  the  afliicted  parts  will  keep 
the  flies  away  for  several  days;  where  sores  are 
formed,  add  a  little  carbolic  acid  to  the  grease  or 
oil ;  tobacco  powder  will  kill  the  flies  if  it  is  dusted 
on  them ;  spread  out  or  mix  lime  with  the  fresh  cow 
droppings ;  spray  cows  with  crude  petroleum.  Also 
see  repellant  mixtures,  p.  152'. 

Sucking  cattle  lice  ^  (Hccmatopiuits  citry- 

sterniis) 
(LinognatJiiis  vituli) 
Order — Hemiptera 

There  are  two  species  of  suckino-  lice,  the  short- 
nosed  ox  louse  and  the  long-nosed  ox  louse;  they 
are  apt  to  be  abundant  especially  on  calves  and  on 
poorly  cared  for  and  ill-fed  cattle;  on  these  they 
mav  cause  injury. 

The  eggs  are  attached  to  the  hairs  of  the  animal 
and  the  young  lice  gradually  develop  to  the  adults. 

Control — An  infusion  of  stavesacre  seeds  seems 
to  be  the  most  accepted  remedy.  Four  ounces 
stavesacre  (Delphinium)  seeds,  i  ounce  white  helle- 
bore boiled  in  i  gallon  of  water  until  only  2  quarts 
remain  and  applied  with  a  brush  where  lice  are 
seen;  kerosene  emulsion,  15%,  or  crude  petroleum 
rubbed  in  among  the  hairs;  2  or  3  applications  of 
either  at  an  interval  of  one  week;  raw  linseed  oil 
has  been  recommended;  it  is  applied  with  a  brush 
but  one  must  not  rub  too  vigorously. 

6  Imes — U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  909. 
Lamson — Conn.  (Storrs)  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  97. 


CATTLE  INSECTS  149 

The  BITING  CATTLE  LOUSE  "^  (TricJiodectcs  scalaris) 
Order — Mallophaga 

This  species  of  louse  is  common  the  world  over 
and  is  often  very  abundant;  they  do  not  seem  to 
be  as  injurious  as  the  sucking  lice  attributable  to 
the  fact,  probably,  that  they  do  not  suck  blood ;  they 
are  smaller  than  the  sucking  lice;  they  are  gener- 
ally found  in  more  abundance  in  the  spring  of  the 
year ;  at  this  time  eggs  and  adults  are  easily  found. 

Control — Same  as  for  the  suckino:  lice. 


Southern  cattle  tick  ^  (Boophilus  anmtlatiis) 
Order — Acarina 

One  of  the  ticks,  thus  not  a  true  insect.  It  is  the 
carrier  of  Texas  fever,  a  blood  disease  caused  by 
a  minute  protozoan  parasite  working  in  the  red 
blood  corpuscles;  the  ticks  drop  from  the  cattle 
when  full  grown  and  lay  eggs,  sometimes  as  many 
as  3000  among  the  grass;  the  young  ticks  which 
hatch  must  find  their  way  to  the  cattle  to  live,  and 
these  young  ticks  will  introduce  the  disease  to 
healthy  stock ;  infested  Southern  cattle  often  intro- 
duce the  disease  into  Northern  herds,  but  as  our 
cold  winters  kill  the  ticks,  the  disease  disappears 
unless  reintroduced  in  Southern  ticks  brought  north 
the  next  season. 

Control — Thoroughbred  Northern  cattle  are 
now  taken  south  and  there  inoculated  and  only  a 
mild  form  of  the  disease  produced:  the  ticks  are 
now  being  gradually  exterminated  from  the  coun- 
try by  dipping  infested  cattle  in  an  arsenical  solu- 
tion at  certain  intervals  throughout  the  season. 

7  Osborn— U.  S.  Rii.  Ent..  Bull.  =;,  p.  209. 

8  Mohler— U.  S.  Bu.  An.  Ind.,  Bull.  78. 

Ellenberger  and  Chapin— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  1057. 


ISO  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

PESTS  OF  HORSES 

Botfly  ^  (GasfropJiilus  intcstinalis) 
Order — Diptera.     Manual,  p.  477 

The  adults  are  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
long  and  rather  light  brown  in  color;  the  fly  does 
not  bite  or  sting  yet  many  horses  are  much  worried 
by  its  presence;  authorities  differ  as  to  injury  by 
the  bots;  they  may  irritate  the  stomach;  may  ab- 
sorb much  nutriment  from  the  stomach  contents, 
and  cause  irritation  in  the  intestines. 

The  fly  attaches  its  eggs  to  the  hairs  on  the  legs 
and  shoulders  of  horse;  eggs  licked  off  by  horse 
and  carried  to  stomach  where  the  maggots  or  ''bots" 
attach  themselves  to  the  walls  of  this  organ;  they 
usually  spend  several  months  in  the  digestive  or- 
gans; probably  not  more  than  one  maggot  in  fifty 
ever  reach  stomach;  they  live  in  the  dung  during 
May  or  June,  go  into  ground  and  pupate. 

Control — Shave  off  the  eggs  with  a  sharp  knife 
or  razor  once  in  two  weeks  at  least;  kill  eggs  by 
running  over  them  lightly  with  carbolic  acid,  2  per- 
cent phenol. 

The  THROAT  BOTFLY  ^^  (GasfropJiHus  nasalis) 
Attaches  its  eggs  to  the  hairs  of  the  lips  and 
nostrils  and  to  the  hairs  of  the  throat. 
Control — Same  as  foregoing  species. 

Horsefly  or  gadfly  ^^  (Tabanits  afrafns) 
Order — Diptera 

A  large  black  fly  that  flies  swiftly,  bites  fiercely 
and  is  a  persistent  enemy  of  horses  and  cattle ;  eggs 
have  been  found  attached  to  leaves  overhanging 
water;   larvae   live   in   marshy   ground   and   along 

9. 10  Dove— U.  S.  Bu.  Ent.,  Bull.  597- 
11  Carman— Ken.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  151. 


SWINE  INSECTS  151 

streams ;  these  flies  often  become  abundant  and  in- 
jurious to  cattle  and  horses  but  they  do  not  produce 
'Svarbles"  or  bots. 

Control — Success  has  been  obtained  by  putting 
kerosene  oil  on  pools  of  water  frequented  by  these 
flies.  They  are  killed  by  coming  in  contact  with 
the  oil.  Certain  repellant  mixtures  may  be  put  on 
cattle  but  diflicult  among  large  herds.  Nets  on 
horses  are  a  protection. 

A  PEST  OF  HOGS 

The  hog  louse  ^^  (Hcumatopinus  urhis) 
Order — Hemiptera 

Occasionally  this  species  appears  in  great  num- 
bers on  swine;  a  full-grown  louse  measures  one- 
fourth  inch  or  more  in  length;  it  is  gray  in  color 
and  has  sucking  mouthparts. 

Control — Washes  of  dilute  carbolic  acid  (i  to 
30)  or  the  tobacco  extracts  or  kerosene  emulsion 
will  control  these  lice;  a  wallowing  trough  of  ce- 
ment with  a  film  of  oil  on  top  is  a  very  good  method 
of  control. 

OTHER  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  LIVE  STOCK 

Turkey  gnat  (black-flv)  (Simulium  mcridion- 
ale). 

Buffalo  gnat  (black-fly)   (Siniuliuin  pccuanim). 
Brown  gad-fly  (Tabamis  exiil). 
Ear-fly  (Chrysops  vittafus). 
Stable  fly  (Stomoxys  calcitrans) . 
Screw-worm  fly  (Paralucilia  maccUaria). 
Lone  star  tick  (Amblyonima  unipuiicfa). 

Repellants  for  flies  on  live  stock 
Many  mixtures  have  been  recommended  for  ap- 

12  Lewis— Oklahoma  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  72. 


152  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

plication  to  horses  and  cattle  to  protect  them  from 
the  attacks  of  flies.  No  one  of  these  repellants  has 
proved  entirely  satisfactory  because  of  the  trouble 
of  application,  the  transitory  effectiveness  of  the 
material,  and  the  possibility  of  injury  to  the  animal 
to  which  the  mixture  has  been  applied. 

The  following  mixtures  are  simple  compounds 
and  perhaps  as  effective  as  any  in  present  use : 

^^  Fish  oil / 100  parts 

Oil  of  tar 50  parts 

Crude  carbolic  acid i  part 

Apply  with  hand  spray  pump  or  with  a  brush. 

^*  Fish  oil I  gallon 

Oil  of  tar 2  ounces 

Oil  of  pennyroyal 2  ounces 

Kerosene    ^  pint 

Apply  lightly  with  a  brush. 

^^  Crude  cotton-seed  oil.  ./.  .  ., 2  parts 

Pine  tar i  part 

Apply  at  milking  time  with  a  brush. 


Moore — South  Dakota  Bull.  81,  pp.  41-42. 
lishop — U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  540. 


1=  Weed— Miss.  Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  28. 


EXTERNAL  PARASITES  OF  POULTRY 

The  external  parasites  of  poultry  are  many  in 
number,  at  least  i8  different  kinds  of  mites  and  9 
or  10  different  kinds  of  lice  are  parasitic  on  poul- 
try. One  tick  and  two  fleas  are  also  found  as  pests 
on  domestic  fowls. 

Chicken  mite  ^  (Dermanyssus  gallincu) 
Order — Acarina 

The  chicken  mite  can  be  found  in  almost  any 
poultry  house  and  often  exceedingly  abundant  in 
some,  especially  unclean  ones;  it  has  a  marked  ef- 
fect on  egg  production ;  will  prevent  hens  from  fat- 
tening and  will  drive  sitting  hens  from  nests;  it 
causes  a  high  mortality  among  young  chicks  and 
is  a  pernicious  pest;  the  mouth  parts  are  fitted  for 
piercing  and  sucking  and  the  mites  suck  the  blood 
of  their  hosts ;  they  are  usually  found  on  fowls  only 
at  night,  for  they  remain  hidden  during  the  day  in 
cracks  and  crevices  of  the  perches  and  houses. 

The  mite  varies  in  color  from  pale  yellowish  to 
red;  it  deposits  small  white  eggs  in  cracks  and 
crevices  of  the  perches  and  nest  boxes ;  these  hatch 
in  3  or  4  davs  into  almost  white  six-legged  mites 
that  gradually  grow  by  casting  their  skins  until 
they  become  adults  with  8  legs ;  the  life  cycle  may 
be  passed  through  in  9  or  10  days;  they  increase 
enormously. 

Control — Poultry  houses  should  be  built  so  that 
every  part  of  them  is  well  lighted  and  aired;  the 
houses  should  be  kept  scrupulously  clean ;  the  houses 

1  Herrick — Mississippi  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  78. 
Repp— Iowa  Expt.  Stat,  Bull.  69. 

153  .    . 


154  INSECTS  OF  FXONOMTC  IMPORTANCE 

should  be  built  so  that  the  perches,  nest  boxes,  etc., 
may  be  readily  removed  leaving  only  four  bare 
v^alls;  spray  the  inside  of  houses  with  one  part 
crude  carbolic  acid  and  three  parts  kerosene;  sit- 
ting hens  should  be  isolated  from  laying  hens;  a 
dust  bath  should  be  provided  for  the  fowls. 

Hen  lice  -  (Mcnopon  paUidiim  and  other  species) 
Order — Mallophaga 

There  are  9  or  lo  species  of  lice  that  infest  fowls ; 
they  have  biting  mouth-parts  and  live  upon  scales 
of  cast-off  skin  and  on  bits  of  feathers — do  not  suck 
blood;  they  irritate  the  fowls,  however,  by  their 
presence  and  interfere  with  growth  and  ^gg  pro- 
duction and  are  fatal  to  young  chicks ;  these  Hce  are 
permanent  parasites  and  each  leg  ends  in  two  sharp 
claws. 

The  lice  deposit  their  whitish  eggs  or  ''nits"  at 
the  bases  of  the  feathers;  here  they  hatch  and  the 
young  lice  gradually  grow  into  adults. 

Control — Use  the  same  measures  as  for  the 
mites;  dips  have  been  recommended  but  they  are 
objectionable:  one  of  the  best  is  made  by  mixing 
ij4  ounces  of  pure  carbolic  acid  with  i  gallon  of 
hot  water;  when  cool  immerse  the  fowl  in  it  one 
minute;  creolin  at  the  rate  of  2^  ounces  to  the 
gallon  may  be  used  instead;  the  Cornell  powder  is 
good  for  dusting  fowls;  it  is  made  of  i  part  crude 
carbolic  acid,  3  parts  gasoline,  and  enough  plaster 
of  Paris  to  take  up  the  liquid;  J4  pint  of  acid,  % 
pint  of  gasoline  and  about  2^^  pounds  of  plaster 
will  form  about  the  right  proportions.  Apply  the 
powder  with  a  sifter  or  with  the  fingers  and  work 
it    in   among   the    feathers;    sodium    fluoride    has 

2  Herrick— Cornell  Univ.  Expt.  Stat..  Bull.  359. 
Lamson  and  Manter — Conn.   (Storrs)   Expt.  Stat.,  Bull.  86. 
Bishopp  and  Wood— U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Ear's'  Bull.  801. 


POULTRY  INSECTS  155 

proven  to  be  a  very  simple  and  effective  remedy; 
put  a  ''pinch"  on  head,  one  or  two  on  back  and  be- 
neath each  wing-  and  below  the  vent. 

Scaly-leg^  (Cnemidocoptes  miitans) 
Order — Acarina 

Scaly-leg  among  fowls  is  caused  by  a  very  small 
mite ;  the  disease  is  contagious  and  fatal  if  not  con- 
trolled; the  legs  become  covered  with  hard  greyish 
crusts,  the  fowl  becomes  lame  and  finally  unable  to 
walk  when  it  will  eventually  die. 

These  minute  mites  live  beneath  the  scales  of  the 
legs  where  a  white  powdery  substance  is  formed 
which  together  wath  the  serum  forms  the  crust. 

Control — The  disease  is  contagious  and  the  af- 
fected fowl  must  be  isolated;  disinfect  house  with 
hot  water  and  carbolic  acid  and  then  whitewash  it ; 
soak  leg  of  fowl  in  warm  water  to  soften  the  scales ; 
then  scrape  them  off  carefully;  coat  with  caraway 
oil  I  part  and  5  parts  white  vaseline  or  with  Balsam 
of  Peru  once  a  day. 

Depluming  scabies^  {Cnemidocoptes  gallince) 
Order — Acarina 

Fowls  often  pluck  out  their  own  feathers  or  those 
of  their  mates ;  the  feathers  often  fall  out  of  them- 
selves, that  is,  they  break  off*  at  the  bases ;  the  bases 
of  the  quills  become  filled  wnih  a  white  powdery 
substance  among  which  the  mites  live;  here  they 
set  up  an  irritation  that  causes  the  fowl  to  pull  out 
its  own  feathers ;  the  disease  usually  commences  at 
the  rump  and  gradually  spreads ;  the  head  and  neck 
often  become  seriously  affected ;  the  mites  are  most 
abundant  in  spring  and  summer ;  as  many  as  ten  or 
twelve  may  be  found  at  each  feather. 

3  Pearl,  Surface,  and  Curtis — Poultry  Diseases  and  Treatment, 
Me.  Expt.  Stat.,  191 1. 


IS6  INSECTS  OF  ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE 

Control — The  disease  is  contagious  and  the  af- 
fected fowl  should  be  isolated;  dust  the  fowl  with 
fresh  Buhach;  use  the  caraway  oil,  i  part,  and 
white  vaseline  5  parts;  Theobald  rubs  oil  of  cloves 
over  the  affected  area. 

Pulmonary  mite  ^  (Cytodites  niidus) 
Order — Acarina 

These  mites  inhabit  the  bronchial  tubes  even 
reaching  the  cavities  in  the  pneumatic  bones;  the 
mite  is  readily  seen  with  the  eye;  it  is  only  when 
they  are  abundant  that  they  cause  trouble;  they 
sometimes  occur  in  such  numbers  that  they  close 
up  the  tubes  an.d  produce  asphyxia;  this  mite  is  of 
considerable  size  and  readily  seen  with  the  naked 
eye ;  it  is  white  and  globular  in  form. 

Hen  flea  ^  (Ceratophylhis  gallincu) 
Order — Siphonaptera 

This  hen  flea  is  evidently  not  abundant  in  Amer- 
ica having  been  found  here  but  twice  so  far ;  it  has 
sucking  mouthparts  and  lives  upon  the  blood  of 
its  host ;  fleas  are  not  permanent  parasites ;  they  get 
on  the  hens  to  feed  and  when  through  leave  them. 

The  female  lays  her  white  eggs  in  the  nests 
chiefly,  but  sometimes  on  the  floor  among  the  drop- 
pings ;  the  eggs  hatch  into  long  slender  white  worm- 
like larvae  that  live  on  the  organic  matter  found 
among  the  cracks  and  crevices  of  the  house;  in 
about  two  weeks  they  make  a  silken  cocoon  and 
change  to  the  pupa ;  in  two  to  three  weeks  the  adults 
appear. 

Control — Same  methods  as  advised  for  the  con- 
trol of  the  mites  and  lice. 

4,  ^  Pearl,  Surface,  and  Curtis — Poultry  Diseases  and  Treatment, 
Me.  Expt.  Stat.,  191 1. 
^  Theobald — Parasitic  Diseases  of  Poultry. 


POULTRY  INSECTS  157 

The  Cuban  hen  flea  "^  (Echidnophaga  gallina- 

ceus) 
Order — Siphonaptera 

The  flea  occurs  in  the  Southern  States  and  at 
times  becomes  abundant  and  very  irritating  espe- 
cially to  sitting  hens ;  they  attach  themselves  to  the 
face,  to  the  wattles,  comb,  etc.,  and  suck  the  blood; 
they  finally  drop  off  when  mature  and  lay  their 
eggs  among  the  debris  in  the  nest. 

Control — Same  as  for  hen  flea. 

Chicken  tick  ^  (Argus  m'miatns) 
Order — Acarina 

Occurs  in  Texas  in  injurious  numbers. 

Chicken  or  fowl-bug  {Hccmato siphon  inodorus) 
Order — Hemiptera 

This  is  a  bug  closely  allied  to  the  bedbug  and  it 
sometimes  attacks  sitting  hens  while  on  their  nests. 
Control — Dust  fowls  with  fresh  Buhach. 

Common  bedbug  (Cimex  lectularms) 
Order — Hemiptera 

Sometimes  a  pest  in  poultry  houses. 

'^  Herrick — Jour.  Ec.  Ent,  Vol.  I,  p.  355. 

8  Bishopp — U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Par's'  Bull.  1070. 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  HOUSE- 
HOLD 

There  are  many  insect  pests  that  injure  the  food- 
stuffs, clothing,  carpets,  rugs,  etc.,  of  the  household, 
and  the  aggregate  loss  caused  by  these  insects  is 
very  large.  Moreover,  many  of  these  pests  are 
now  known  to  be  the  disseminators  of  certain  hu- 
man diseases,  so  that  they  have  become  important 
from  more  than  one  point  of  view;  the  more  im- 
portant of  these  household  pests  are  discussed  in 
the  following  pages. 

House-fly  (Mttsca  domcstica) 
Order — Diptera.     Manual,  p.  482 

The  house-fly  lays  its  white  eggs  in  manure,  de- 
caying vegetable  material  and  other  garbage:  they 
hatch  in  12  to  24  hours  into  the  whitish  maggots: 
the  maggots  reach  maturity  in  5  or  6  days  and 
change  to  pup^e  which  are  enclosed  in  dark-brown 
puparia;  these  rest  quietly  about  5  days  and  then  the 
adult  comes  forth:  the  adults  carry  typhoid  fever, 
cholera,  tuberculosis,  dysentery,  and  other  enteric 
diseases. 

Control — Draw  out  stable  manure  twice  a  week 
or  put  it  in  a  dark  closet;  treat  manure  piles  with 
hellebore  or  borax;  put  yi  pound  of  hellebore  in 
10  gallons  of  water  and  sprinkle  it  over  8  bushels 
(10  cu.  ft.)  of  manure  or  sprinkle  10  ounces  of 
powdered  borax  over  8  bushels  of  the  manure  and 
then  wet  down  with  2  or  3  gallons  of  water;  build 
a  modern  fly-tight  toilet;  screen  whole  house  espe- 

158 


HOUSEHOLD  INSECTS  159 

dally  back  porch ;  use  tanglefoot  paper  and  formal- 
dehyde, 2  tablespoonfuls  in  a  pmt  of  water;  use 
fresh  Buhach. 

Mosquitoes  (Ciilcx  and  Anopheles) 
Order — Diptera.     Manual,  p.  437 

All  mosquitoes  lay  their  eggs  on  or  in  water  or 
where  water  will  eventually  be;  the  common  house 
mosquito  deposits  its  eggs  in  boat-shaped  masses  on 
water  where  they  hatch  in  24  hours;  the  'Sviggle- 
tails"  attain  their  growth  in  6  to  10  days  and  then 
transform  to  active  pup?e;  the  pupal  stage  lasts  4 
to  6  days;  the  life  cycle  may  be  passed  in  two  weeks 
in  hot  weather. 

The  malarial  mosquito.  Anopheles  quadrimaeida- 
tiis,  lays  its  eggs  singly  on  top  of  the  water;  they 
hatch  in  3  days  and  the  larv?e  lie  in  a  horizontal  po- 
sition just  beneath  the  surface  film  for  about  16 
days ;  the  life  cycle  lasts  about  24  days. 

There  are  four  mosquitoes  in  the  United  States 
that  carry  malaria  and  they  all  belong  to  the  genus, 
Anopheles. 

There  is  also  one  that  carries  the  causative  or- 
ganism of  yellow  fever ;  it  is  found  in  all  of  the  Gulf 
States  and  may  occur  along  the  Atlantic  Coast  as 
far  north  as  New  York  City;  the  species  is  com- 
monly known  as  Stegomyia  fasciata  but  is  now 
placed  under  the  name  Acdes  argentens. 

Control — Use  oil  on  water;  drain  all  pools  of 
water;  put  fish  in  ponds  that  cannot  be  drained  or 
oiled;  screen  houses;  kill  adults  with  Buhach;  use 
bednets. 

Ants  (several  species) 
Order — Hymenoptera.     Manual,  p.  633 
The  little  red  ant,  the  black  carpenter  ant,  the 
pavement   ant,   and  the  small  black  ant,   are  the 


i6o  INSECTS  OF  ECONOiMIC  IMPORTANCE 

species  most  prevalent  in  houses  in  the  North.  In 
Louisiana,  ]\Iississippi,  Texas  and  California,  the 
Argentine  ant  is  becoming  a  great  and  serious  pest. 

Some  ants  make  their  nests  on  the  lawns,  in  the 
walls  of  the  houses,  etc.,  while  others  make  them 
in  old  logs,  decaying  beams,  and  stumps,  others  un- 
der stones  in  the  pavement,  etc. 

Control — Isolate  food  products;  use  sponges 
soaked  in  sweetened  water;  locate  nests  and  use 
carbon  bisulphide ;  squirt  kerosene  in  entrance  holes 
and  plug  with  cotton;  use  ant  tape;  use  a  mixture 
of  tartar  emetic  i  part,  sugar  lo  parts  and  water 
to  moisten  well. 

Clothes  moths  (three  species) 
Order — Lepidoptera.     Manual,  p.  257 

There  are  three  species  of  these  moths  in  the 
United  States  but  only  two  are  common  in  the 
North;  the  larvae  of  these  often  do  serious  injury 
by  eating  holes  in  w^oolen  garments  and  by  damag- 
ing furs. 

Control — Air  and  shake  clothes  frequently ;  use 
moth  balls ;  put  woolens  away  in  tight  paper  sacks ; 
use  a  fumigation  box. 

Carpet  beetles  (two  species) 
Order — Coleoptera.     Manual,  p.  539 

There  are  two  species  of  carpet  beetles,  the  so- 
called  "Buffalo  bug"  and  the  black  carpet  beetle; 
they  deposit  their  eggs  about  the  edges  of  the  car- 
pet w^here  they  are  feeding;  these  hatch  and  the 
hairy  larvae  feed  on  the  carpet. 

Control — Use  rugs  and  finished  floors;  trap 
larvae  with  woolen  cloths ;  spray  carpets  with  ben- 
zine, whip  and  hang  in  the  sunlight;  wash  floors 
with  strong  soapsuds. 


HOUSEHOLD  INSECTS  i6i 

Fleas  (several  species) 
Order — Siphonaptera.     Manual,  p.  490 

There  are  two  or  three  species  of  fleas  that  trou- 
ble household  inmates,  the  human  flea  and  the  cat 
and  dog  fleas;  the  latter  are  the  common  ones  and 
are  the  ones  usually  causing  the  trouble;  the  hu- 
man flea  is  more  or  less  common  in  California;  the 
cat  and  dog  fleas  lay  their  white  eggs  while  the  flea 
is  on  its  host  but  the  eggs  drop  to  the  floor  where 
they  hatch  into  long  worm-like  larvae;  these  larvae 
live  on  the  material  found  in  the  dirt  along  the 
cracks  of  the  floor  and  about  the  baseboards;  cer- 
tain fleas  disseminate  disease,  especially  the  plague. 

Control — Get  rid  of  dog  or  cat  or  wash  them 
often  in  a  solution  of  creolin  4  teaspoonfuls  to  a 
quart  of  water  for  the  dog,  and  3  teaspoonfuls  to 
a  quart  for  the  cat;  use  rugs  and  finished  floors; 
wash  floors  with  soapsuds  and  spray  with  benzine; 
use  flake  napthaline. 

Cockroaches  (several  species) 
Order — Orthoptera.     Manual,  p.  106 

There  are  four  species  that  cause  trouble  in  the 
United  States;  the  croton  bug,  the  oriental  roach, 
the  American  roach,  and  the  Australian  roach; 
they  lay  their  eggs  in  a  mass  in  a  sort  of  brown 
bean-like  case ;  they  live  upon  all  kinds  of  food,  but 
often  contaminate  with  a  roachy  odor  more  than 
they  eat;  they  injure  books  seriously  at  times. 

Control — Trap  them;  use  Buhach;  use  borax; 
fumigate  rooms  with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas ;  use  in- 
sectoline;  use  sodium  fluoride. 

Bedbug  {Cimex  lectularius) 
Order — Hemiptera.     Manual,  p.  140 
These  insects  go  into  houses  in  visitors'  baggage, 
in  laundry  brought  in  from  the  washerwoman's ;  by 


i62  INSECTS  OF  EC0N0:MIC  IMPORTANCE 


migrating  from  another  adjoining  house;  they  lay 
their  eggs  in  the  cracks  of  beds  and  multiply  in 
great  numbers ;  they  are  suspected  of  carrying  dis- 


CoNTROL — Use  iron  bedsteads;  paint  cracks  in 
beds  with  gasoline,  kerosene,  or  benzine ;  pour  boil- 
ing water  on  the  beds  if  not  afraid  of  injuring  var- 
nish; fumigate  with  sulphur,  2  pounds  to  1000  cubic 
feet ;  fumigate  with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas. 

Circ.  36,  Clothes  IMoths.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Bii.  of  Ent. 
Circ.  71,  Housefly.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr..  Bii.  of  Ent. 
Circ.  108,  House  fleas.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Bu.  of  Ent. 
Circ.     5,  Carpet  Beetles.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Bu.  of  Ent. 
Circ.  34,  Ants.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Bu.  of  Ent. 
Circ.  13,  Mosquitoes.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Bu.  of  Ent. 
Bull.     4,  Household  Insects.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Bu.  of  Ent. 
Ear's'  Bull.  679,  Houseflies.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.,  Bu.  of  Ent. 
Book.  Insects  Injurious  to  the  Household  and  Annoying  to  Man, 
Glenn  W.  Herrick. 

SPRAYING  SCHEDULE  FOR  APPLES 

Dormant  spray. — As  the  buds  begin  to  shozv  green 

Lime-sulphur  (32°  Baume)  diluted  i  to  8,  for  San  Jose 
scale,  oyster-shell  scale,  and  blister  mite.  If  aphids  are 
present  this  application  should  be  delayed  until  just  as  the 
buds  are  bursting ;  at  that  time  the  young  lice  are  clustering 
on  the  opening  buds. 

*'Black  leaf  40"  tobacco  extract  should  be  added,  •)4  pii'^t 
to  100  gallons  of  lime-sulphur  solution. 

Summer  sprays 

(A)  As  the  buds  begin  to  show  pink 

Lime-sulphur  (32°  Baume)  diluted  i  to  40,  for  apple  scab; 
from  4  to  6  pounds  of  arsenate  of  lead  should  be  added  to 
100  gallons  of  lime-sulphur,  for  bud  moth  and  case-bearers. 

(B)  As  the  last  of  the  petals  are  falling 

Lime-sulphur  (32°  Baume)  diluted  i  to  40,  for  apple  scab; 
from  4  to  6  pounds  of  arsenate  of  lead  should  be  added  to 
100  gallons  of  lime-sulphur,  for  codling  moth.  This  is  the 
most  important  spray  for  the  control  of  the  codling  moth. 

(C)  Three  zveeks  after  the  petals  fall 

Lime-sulphur  (32°  Baume)  diluted  i  to  40,  for  apple  scab; 


SPRAYING  SCHEDULE  163 

from  4  to  6  pounds  of  arsenate  of  lead  should  be  added  to 
100  gallons  of  lime-sulphur,  for  codlino-  moth. 

(D)    The  last  zveek  in  July 

Lime-sulphur  (32°  Baume)  diluted  i  to  40,  for  apple  scab; 
from  4  to  6  pounds  of  arsenate  of  lead  should  be  added  to 
100  gallons  of  lime-sulphur  for  the  second  brood  of  codling 
moth. 


SPRAYING  SCHEDULE  FOR  PEACHES 

Dormant  spray. — Before  the  leaf  buds  swell 

Lime-sulphur  (32°  Baume)  diluted  1-8,  for  San  Jose  scale 
and  peach  leaf  curl.  If  San  Jose  scale  is  not  to  be  com- 
bated, lime-sulphur  (32°  Baume)  diluted  i  to  15,  or  Bor- 
deaux 4-4-50,  should  be  used. 

Summer  sprays 

(A)  About  the  time  when  the  calyxes,  or  shucks,  are  drop- 

ping from  the  young  fruit 

(a)  Self-boiled  lime-sulphur  8-8-50,  with  arsenate  of 

lead,  2  pounds  to  50  gallons,  for  scab. 
As  this  is  rather  early  for  scab  and  rot,  the  self-boiled 
lime-sulphur  may  be  omitted,  using  merely 

(b)  Arsenate  of  lead,  2  pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water, 

for  curculio. 
If  the  self-boiled  lime-sulphur  is  omitted,  milk  of  lime, 
made  by  slaking  from  2  to  3  pounds  of  good  stone  lime, 
should  be  added  to  each  50  gallons  of  water.     This  will  tend 
to  counteract  any  caustic  action  of  the  arsenate  of  lead. 

(B)  Tzi'o  or  three  zveeks  later,  or  about  one  month  after  the 

petals  fall 

(a)  Self-boiled    lime-sulphur    8-8-50,    for    scab    and 

brown   rot. 

(b)  Two  pounds  of  arsenate  of  lead  added  to  the  pre- 

ceding, for  curculio. 

(C)  About  one  month  before  the  fruit  ripens 

Self -boiled  lime-sulphur  8-8-50,  for  brown  rot.  Arsenate 
of  lead  must  not  be  added. 


INDEX 


Acanthoscelides    obtectus... 

io6, 

Acidia  f ratria 

Adalia   bipiinctata 

Aedes  argenteus 

Agrilus   anxius 58, 

Agrikis  ruficollis 

Agrilus    sinuatus 

Agromyza   simplex 

Alabama  argillacea 

Alfalfa   pests.  . . . 

Alfalfa   leaf- weevil 

Alsophila  pometaria 

Ah^pia  octomaciilata 

Amblyomma  imipuncta 

Ampeloglypter  sesostris  .  . . 
Amphicera    bicaudatus  = 

Schistocerus  hamatus  .... 

Anarsia   lineatella 

Anasa    tristis    

Ancylis   comptana 

Ania    limboda 

Anopheles  quadrimaculatus. 

Anthonomus   grandis 

Anthonomus  scutellaris 

Anthonomus    signatus 

Anthonomus  quadrigibbus.  . 

Ants 

Aphid,   apple-grain    

Aphid,  black   

Aphid,  cabbage     

Aphid,  cherry   

Aphid,  currant   

Aphid,  green  

Aphid,  pea   

Aphid,  peach  

Aphid,  potato   

Aphid,  rosy  apple 

Aphid,  woolly 

Aphis    avense=  Rhophalosi- 

phum  prunifoli^e    

Aphis  brassicse   

Aphis  f orbesi 

Aphis  gossypii 100, 

Aphis  maidiradicis   ....   122, 

Aphis  mali   

Aphis  malifoliae   

Aphis  persic3e-niger   


Aphis  pomi   41 

130       Aphis  rufomaculata 136 

108       Aphis  rumicis 107 

5       Aphis  setariae   54 

159       Aphis  sorbi   40 

139       Apple  bud-worm   52 

85       Apple  curculio 49 

58       Apple  leaf-roller  49 

97       Apple  leafhopper 52 

127       Apple  maggot  44 

123       Apple  pests   36 

125       Apple  seed-chalcis 47 

42       Apple  tree  borers 8 

yy      Apple  weevil 52 

151  Archips  argyrospila  49,  59,  66,  70 

77       Archips  cerasivorana   69 

Archips  obsoletana   83 

77  Archips  rosaceana 

62          52,   70,  133 

99  Argas  miniatus  ^  Argas  per- 

82  sicus 157 

112       Argas  persicus   157 

159  Argops>v.lla  gallinacea  = 

127  Echidnophaga  gallinaceus.  157 

.S3       Army  worm 8,  118,  119 

81       Arsenate   of    lead    11,    14 

49       Arsenate  of  calcium 11,  15 

159       Arsenic,  white    ii 

4G       Arsenite  of  lime 11 

136       Arsenite  of  copper  11 

94      Arsenite  of  zinc  11,  16 

67       Asparagus  beetles  96,  97 

79       Asparagus  miner  97 

41       Asparagus  pests  96 

106       Asphondylia  miki 127 

61       Aspidiotus  forbesi   70 

89       Aspidiotus  hederse 134 

40       Aspidiotus   howardi    59 

46  Aspidiotus  juglans-regise.  ..  .  81 

Aspidiotus  ostreseformis. . .  .  54 

40  Aspidiotus    perniciosus 

94           25,  34,  56,  59,  81 

83  Aspidiotus  uvse    77 

129       Ataxia  crypta   12^9 

129       Aulacaspis  pentagona 66 

41  Aulacaspis  rosse  87 

40       Autographa  brassicse   95 

61      Autographa  falcigera  107 

165 


i66 


INDEX 


Autographa    gamma-califor- 

nica    12/ 

Baits,  poison   17 

Barium  sulphur   26 

Bean  pests   105 

Bean    leaf-beetle    106 

Bean   weevil    106 

Bedbug   161 

Bees  4 

Beet  leaf-miner 103 

Beet  pests    . . . 10;? 

Bembccia  marginata   86 

Billbugs 120 

Birch  l3orer   I39 

Birds    9 

Biting  insects    8 

Blacklierry  pests    83 

Black  death 17 

Black-leaf-40   20 

Blastopliaga 5 

Blister  beetle    89,  105 

Blister-mitc   25,48,  54 

Blissus  leucopterus    ....115,  123 

Boll-weevil   3,  4,  127 

Bollworm,  cotton  128 

Bolhvorm,   pink  cotton    ....  128 

Books    6 

Boophilus  annulatus   14Q 

Bordeaux    mixture    33 

Borer,  flat-headed    37 

Borer,   round-headed    t,7 

Bot-fly    146,  150 

Braconids   6 

Bronze  birch-borer 8,  139 

Brown-tail  moth   ...4,  8,  52,  141 

Bruces  measuring-worm   ...  s^ 

Bruchophagus   funebris 125 

Bruchus    chinensis    107 

Bruchus  obtectus  106 

Bruchus  pisorum  =  ]\Iylab- 

rus  pisorum   T05 

Bruchus  quadrimaculatus.  . .  107 

"B.T.S." 26 

Bucculatrix  pomifoliella   ...  45 

Bud  moth  38 

Buffalo  tree-hopper 51 

Bug  death    16 

Bumblebees    5 

Byturus  unicolor   87 

Cabbage  aphid    04 

Cabbage  bug  95 

Cabbage  looper 95 

Cabbage  insects 9,  92 


Cabbage  root-maggot g2 

Cabbage  worm,  imported   .  .  94 

Calandra  granaria 130 

Calandra  oryza^    130 

Calendar,    spray    162,  163 

Caliroa  cerasi   56 

Calosoma  sycophanta 10 

Canker-worm,  fall    8,  42 

Canker-worm,  spring 8,  42 

Carabid?c    5 

Carbolic  acid  emulsion   . .  19,  23 

Carbon  bisulphide  27 

Carpet   beetles    160 

Carpocapsa  pomonella  ...36,  59 

Carrot  pests    108 

Carrot  rust-fly    107 

Case-bearers    39 

Cassida  bivittata 91 

Cassida  nigripes 92 

Cattle  lice 148 

Cattle  pests    146 

Cattle  tick    149 

Tecidomyia  destructor  =  Ma- 

yetiola  destructor 114 

Celery   pests    107 

Cephus  pygmseus    i  ig 

Ceratophyllus    gallin^e    156 

Cereal  insects   114 

Ceresa  bubalus  51 

Cerotoma  trifurcata   106 

Ceutorhyuchus   rapae    96 

Ch?etocnema   confinis    90 

Chalcis-flies   6 

Chermes  abietis    143 

Cherry,    fruit-flies    68 

Cherry  leaf-miner   69 

Cherry  leaf-roller    6g 

Cherry  louse,  black    67 

Cherry   insects    67 

Chicken   bug    157 

Chicken  lice 154 

Chicken  mite 153 

Chicken  tick    157 

Chilocorus  bivulnerus 5 

Chinch  bug   ....3,  8,  9,   115,  123 

Chionaspis  furfura   57 

Chloridia  virescens   113 

Chrysanthemum   midge    ....  134 

Chr3'sobotliris    femorata    ...  37 

Chrysops  vittatus 151 

Cimex  lectularius    157,  161 

Cigar  case-bearer 39 

Clothes   moths    160 

Clover  flower-midge  124 

Clover  hay- worm    126 


INDEX 


167 


Clover  leaf-beetle 124 

Clover  pests  9>  123 

Clover  root-borer 123 

Clover  seed-chalcis   125 

Clover  seed-caterpillar 126 

Cnemidocoptes  gallm?e 155 

Cnemidocoptes   mutans    15s 

Coccus    hesperidum    134 

Cochineal    4 

Cockroaches    161 

Codling  moth  .  .3,  8,  36,  59,  67 
Coleophora  fletcherella  ....  39 
Coleophora  malivorella   ....     39 

Coleoptera    7 

Colorado  potato  beetle   ....     88 

Conotrachekis  crat^egi   66 

Conotrachelus  nenuphar  ....     52 

Contact  substances    19 

Contarinia  johnsoni   7( 

Contarinia  pyrivora 57 

Contarinia  tritici   115 

Control,  artificial  methods  of  10 
Control,  natural  methods  of       9 

Coptocycla   bicolor    92 

Corn  pests 9,  119 

Cornborer,  European   122 

Corn  root-aphid 122 

Cotton-boll  weevil    g,  127 

Cotton  pests    127 

Crambus  sps   120 

Craponius  imxqualis   77 

Crioceris  asparagi   96 

Crioceris  duodecimpunctata.  97 
Cryptorhynchus  lapathi   ....    140 

Cucuml^er  beetle   8,     98 

Cucumber  pests    98 

Culex  pipiens    159 

Curculio,  apple   49 

Curculio,  plum   52 

Currant  aphid 79 

Currant  moth-borer    79 

Currant  pests   78 

Currant  stem-girdler   78 

Currant  worm,  imported  ...     78 

Cutworms 92,  93,  102,  120 

Cylas  formicarius   91 

Cyanide,   sodium    27 

Cyllene   robinise    143 

Cytodites  nudus   156 

Dasyneura  leguminicola  ....  124 

Dasyneura  rhodophaga   ....  133 

Dasyneura  trifolii   126 

Datana  ministra 51 

Depluming  scabies    155 


Depressaria  heracliana 108 

Dermanyssus  gallinae   153 

Desmia  f uneralis   76 

Diabrotica  longicornis   123 

Diabrotica    12-punctata    ....  100 

Diabrotica  vittata    98 

Diaphania  hyalinata   100 

Diaphania  nitidalis    100 

Diarthromyia  hypogsea    ....  134 

Diaspsis  bromallise 134 

Dicyphus   minimus    113 

Diplosis  pyrivora  =  Contari- 
nia pyrivora    57 

Diplosis    tritici  =  Contarinia 

tritici    115 

Diptera 7 

Disonycha  xanthomelsena  .  .  104 

Dusting 30 

Dysdercus  suturellus 129 

Eccoptogaster  rugulosus  := 

Scolytus  rugulosus   61 

Echidnophaga  gallinaceus. . .  157 

Elm   leaf-beetle    137 

Elm  leaf-miner 137 

Empoasca  mali  52 

Empria  f ragarise    83 

Emulsions  of  oils 22 

Enarmonia  interstinctana   .  .  126 

Ennomos    subsignarius    ....  141 

Entomology    i 

Ephestia   kuehniella    130 

Epicauta  vittata  89 

Epilachna   borealis    100 

Epilachna  corrupta  107 

Epitrix  cucumeris   88 

Epitrix    fuscula    90 

Epitrix  parvula   90,  112 

Epochra  canadensis 81 

Erannis  tiliaria 52 

Erioph3^es  pyri 48,  54 

Eriosoma  lanigera   46 

Eulecanium  armeniacum  ...  77 

Euproctis  chrysorrhcea   ..52,  141 

Eurymus  eurytheme   127 

Eutettix  tenella 10.; 

Euthrips  pyri 58 

Euzophera  semifuneralis  ...  54 

Evergestis  rimosalis   96 

Exartema  malanum 52 

Fall  web-worm   50,  139 

Fertilizers,   commercial    ....  9 

Fever,  typhoid    158 


i68 


INDEX 


Fever,  yellow  159 

Fidia  viticida    72 

Fig,  Smyrna   5 

Flat-hcadcd  borer   yj 

Fleas    161 

Fleas,  hen  156,  157 

Flea-beetles   96,  102 

Flycatchers    10 

Formaldehyde  28 

Fruit-tree   bark-beetle    61 

Fruit-tree  leaf-roller    49 

Fruit  worms,  green 48 

Fumigating  substances    ....  27 

Gad-fly   150 

Galerucella  luteola   137 

Gasoline  torch    29 

Gastrophilus  intestinalis   . . .  150 

Gastrophilus  nasalis  150 

Gortyna  immanis  109 

Gossyparia  spuria   143 

Grain  insects 130 

Grape  berry-moth    75 

Grape  blossom-midge 'J^ 

Grape  insects    71 

Grape  leaf  hopper 74 

Grape   leaf-folder    76 

Grape  phylloxera 71 

Grape  root-worm 7^ 

Grape-vine  flea-beetle ']'i 

Grasshoppers    8,  1 18 

Green  aphid 41 

Green  fruit  worms 48 

Greenhouse  pests  131 

Gymnonychus  appendiculatus  8j 

Gypsy-moth    4,  8,  52,  142 

Hasmatobia  serrata  147 

Haematopinus  eurysternus  .  .  148 

Haematopinus  urius 151 

Haematopinus  vituli 148 

H?ematosiphon  inodorus   . . .  157 

Haltica  chalybea 'j-^ 

Harrisina  americana ']7 

Hartigia  abdominalis   87 

Hawks 9 

Heat 28 

Heliophila  unipuncta  ..,118,  119 

Heliothis  obsoleta. 

103,  113,  121,  128 

Heliothrips  haemorrhoidalis.  135 

Hellebore 11,  17 

Hellula  undalis 96 

Hemerocampa  leucostigma 

44,  138 


Hemichionaspis  aspidistrge. .   134 

Hemiptera    7 

Hen  flea    156,  157 

Hessian  fly 3,9,  114 

Heterocordylus  malinus  ....     47 

Hickory  bark-borer 140 

Hippodamia  convcrgcns.  . .  .5,  10 

Hog  louse 151 

Holcocera  maligemmella. . . .     52 

Honey  4 

Hop  merchants 1 1 1 

Hop-plant  borer 109 

Hop-plant  louse 109 

Hop-vine  snout-moth no 

Hoplocampa  cookei 70 

Horn-fly  147 

Horse  pests  150 

Hose    2>Z 

House-fly  158 

Household  insects  158 

Hyalopterus  arundinis 54 

Hydrocyanic  acid  gas ly 

Hylastinus  obscurus   123 

Hylemyia  antiqua    loi 

Hymenoptera   6,  7 

Hypena  humuli     no 

Hypera  punctata  :=  Phytono- 

mus  punctata    124 

Hyphantria  textor 50,  139 

Hypoderma  lineata  146 

Hypsopygia  costalis   126 

Ichneumon  flies   6 

Insect  parasites 5 

[nsects,  number  of 7 

Insecticides,  contact 18,  19 

Insecticides,  poison  11 

Isosoma  grande   117 

Isosoma  tritici 117 

Itch,  sheep  144 

Janus  integer 78 

Kaliosysphinga  ulmi 137 

Kerosene  emulsion   22 

Lachnosterna    sps    8t 

Ladybird  beetles 5 

Languria  mozardi   126 

Lanterns   29 

Laphygma  cxigua 105 

Laphygma  frugiperda 123 

Lasioderma  serricorne 113 

Laspeyresia  molesta 65 


INDEX 


169 


Laws,   insecticide  and  quar- 
antine         33 

Leaf-bug,  4-lined  80 

Leaf-crumpler 52 

Leafhoppers 8 

Leaf-roller    49,  52 

Leaf-roller,   oblique-banded.    133 

Leaf-tier,  greenhouse   131 

Lecanium  corni   53 

Lecanium  nigrofasciatum.  . .     63 

Lepidoptera   7 

Lepidosaphes  ulmi 45 

Leptinotarsa  lo-lineata 88 

Leucania  unipuncta  —  Helio- 

phila  unipuncta   ....118,  119 

Lice,  cattle 148 

Lice,  poultry  154 

Ligyrus  gibbosus  108 

Lime-sulphur 19,  23,  25 

Lime-tree  span-worm 52 

Linden  moth 141 

Linognathus    vituli    148 

Literature 6 

London  purple 11,  17 

Losses  by  insects 2,  3 

Loxostege  sticticalis  105 

L3'cia  cognataria 81 

Lygidea  mendax 47 

Lygus  communis 59 

Lygus  pratensis 64,  108 

Lyperosia   irritans  —  Hsema- 
tobia  serrata   147 

Macrodactylus  subspinosus  .  73 

Macrosiphum  pisi   106 

flVIacrosiphum  rosae 136 

Macrosiphum  sanborni 136 

Macrosiphum  solanifolii   ...  89 

Magdalis  ?enescens    52 

Malacosoma  americana  ...43,  66 

Malacosoma  disstria   ....43,  143 

Malaria 3 

Mamestra  trifolii  105 

Mayetiola  destructor  =  Ceci- 

domyia  destructor 114 

Mealy  bugs 134 

Melanoplus   atlanis 118 

Melanoplus  bivittatus   118 

Melanoplus  differentialis.  ...  118 

Melanoplus   femur-rubrum.  .  118 

Melittia  satyriniformis 99 

Melon  pests  99 

Melon  louse 100 

Melophagus  ovinus 145 

Menopon  pallidum 154 


Meromyza  americana 116 

Metallus  rubi 87 

Mineola  indigenella 52 

Miscible  oils 22 

Monophadnus  rubi 84 

Mosquitoes   3,  159 

Moth,  clothes    .\  160 

Musca  domestica  158 

Murgantia  histrionica 95 

M^dabrus     (Bruchus)     piso- 

rum  105,  130 

Myzus  cerasi  67 

Myzus  mahaleb  54 

Myzus  persicse 63,  104,  136 

Myzus  ribis   79 

Myzus  rosarum 136 

Nectarophora  avense 119 

Nepticula  slingerlandella  ...  54 

Neurotoma  inconspicua 54 

Novius  cardinalis 10 

Nozzles  32 

Nuthatches   10 

Oberea  bimaculata 83 

Oecanthus  nigricornis  ....77,  84 

Oestrus  ovis 144 

Oils   19,  21 

Onion  maggot  loi 

Onion  thrips   loi 

Orioles    10 

Orthoptera 7 

Otiorhynchus  ovatus 83 

Owl    9 

Ox-warble    146 

Oxyptilus  periscelidactylus.  .  77 

Oyster-shell  bark-louse 45 

Pachymerus  chinensis 107 

Pachymerus  quadrimaculatus  107 

Pachynematus    extensicornis  119 

Paleacrita  vernata 42 

Palmer-worm    51 

Pamphilius   persicus 66 

Papaipema  nitela   123 

Papilio  polyxenes 107,  108 

Paracalocoris  hawleyi iii 

Paragrene    1 1 

Paralucilia  macellaria  == 

Compsomyia  macellaria  ..  151 

Parasitic  insects 5.  10 

Paris  green   11,  12,  13 

Parsnip  pests 108 

Pea  aphid  106 

Pea  weevil 9,  105 


170 


INDEX 


Peach  aphid,  black   6i 

Peach  aphid,  green   63 

Peach  insects 59 

Peach  lecaninni    63 

Peach  moth,  oriental 65 

Peach-tree  bark-beetle 62 

Peach-tree  borer  8,  60 

Peach  twig-borer 62 

Pear  blight  beetle 59 

Pear  borer,  sinuate 58 

Pear  insects 54 

Pear-leaf  blister-mite 48,  54 

Pear  midge 57 

Pear  psylla 55 

Pear  slug   56 

Pear  thrips    58 

Pectinophora  gossypiella.  . . .  128 

Pegomya  hyoscyami   103 

Pemphigus  betce 105 

Phlegethontius    quinquemac- 

ulata 102 

Phlegethontius  sexta 112' 

Phkcotribus  liminaris 62 

Phorlna  brassic?e 92 

Phorbia  fusiceps   107,  123 

Phorbia   rubivora 85 

Phorodon  humuli 109 

Phthorim^ea  operculella  .  .go,  112 

Phylctccnia    ferrugalis. .  .  108,  131 

Phyllophaga    ....._ 81,  120 

Phylloxera  vastatrix 71 

Phytonomus  posticus   125 

Pistol   case-bearer    39 

Phytonomus  nigrirostris.  . .  .  127 

Plagionotus    speciosus 143 

Plodia  interpunctella    130 

Plum  curculio  ..... .9,  51,  52,  65 

Plum  gouger  53 

Plum  insects   52 

Plum  scale  53 

Plutella  maculipennis   96 

Pcecilocapsus   lineatus    80 

Poisons   II 

Polychrosis   viteana    ...."...  75 

Polygonia  comma    iii 

Polygonia  interrogationis.  . .  iii 

Pontia  protodice 96 

Pontia    rap?e    94 

Poplar  borer   140 

Porthetria  dispar   52,  142 

Potato  aphid   8q 

Potato  flea-beetle 88 

Potato  insects  88 

Potato  stalk-borer 90 

Poultry  pests 153 


Predaceous  insects 10 

Proctotrypid-flies  6 

Profemisa  collaris  69 

Pscudantlionomus    crat^egi..  52 

Pseudococcus  adonidum  ....  134 

Pseudococcus  citri    134 

Pseudococcus  trifolii    127 

Psila  rosae 107 

Psoroptes  communis 144 

Psylla  pyricola  55 

Psylliodes  punctulata iii 

Pteronus  ribesii   78 

Pterophorus  monodactylus. .  92 

Pulmonary  mite   156 

Pulvinaria  vitis 77,  143 

Pumps   32^ 

Pyrausta  nubilalis    122 

Pyrethrum 18,  19 


Quince  curculio 


66 


Rachela  bruceata   52 

Raspberry  cane-borer   8,  83 

Raspberry  cane-maggot 85 

Raspberry  root-borer   86 

Raspberry  saw-fly 84 

Redbugs.  apple   47 

Redbug,  hop in 

Red-humped    apple-worm...  50 

Red-necked   cane-borer    ....  85 

Red  spider 87,  in,  129,  135 

Repellants  for  stock 151 

Rhagoletis  cingulata 68 

Rhagoletis  fausta 68 

Rhagoletis  ribicola 81 

Rhagoletis  pomonella 44 

Rhopalosiphum  persicse 136 

Phopalosiphum  prunifoliae  . .  40 

Rhopalosiphum  violre  136 

Ribbed  cocoon-makcr 45 

Rose  chafer y^, 

Rose  midge   133 

Round-headed   borer    37 

San  Jose  scale    

....•.•, 3,  4,  25,  56,  59.  66 

Sanninoidea  exitiosa    60 

Saperda  Candida    37 

Saperda  tridentata    143 

Saissetia  hemisphccrica    ....  134 

Scab,  sheep    144 

Scale  insects,  greenhouse...  134 

Scaly-leg 155 

Schistocerus  hamatus  =  Am- 

phicerus  hicaudatus 77 


INDEX 


171 


Sohizura  concinna  50 

Scolytus   quadrispinosns. . .  .  140 
Scolytus   rugulosus  =  Eccop- 

togaster  rugulosus 61 

Scurfy  bark-louse 57 

Semasia  nigricana  107 

Sesia  rutilans    83 

Sesia  tipuliformis 79 

Shade-tree  pests I37 

Sheep  louse   146 

Sheep  pests   I44 

Sheep  tick   I45 

Shellac 4 

Shot-hole  borer 8 

Silk-worms    4 

Silvanus  surinarnensis 130 

Simulium   meridionale 151 

Simulium  pecuarum   151 

Sitones  flavescens    127 

Sitones  hispidulus  127 

Sitotroga  cerealella 130 

Slug-shot    16 

Soaps    19,  20 

Sodium  sulphur   26 

Soluble  sulphur 26 

Sphenophorus   callosus    ....  120 

Sphenophorus  sequalis   121 

Sphenophorus  parvulus 121 

Spinach  flea-beetle 104 

Spinach  pests 103 

Spraying,  history  of 30 

Spraying  schedules 162,  163 

Spray-sulphur  ^ 

Squash  bug   99 

Squash-vine  borer 99 

Stegomyia  fasciata I59 

Stock,  repellants  for 151 

Stomoxys  calcitrans  151 

Stored  grain  pests 130 

Strawberry  insects    81 

Strawberry  leaf-roller 82 

Strawberry  weevil 82 

Sucking  insects 8 

Sulphur,  soluble  26 

Swallows    10 

Sweet  potato  flea-beetle   ...  90 

Synanthedon  picipes   66 

Syntomaspis   druparum 47 

Syrphidae    5 

Tabanus  atratus 150 

Tabanus  exul    151 

Tachinid?e    6 

Tanglefoot  29 


Tarnished  plant-bug 64 

Tarnished  plant-bug,  false..  59 

Tent  caterpillars 8,  43 

Tetranychus  telarius 

87,  III,  129,  135 

Thrips  tabaci loi 

Thrips,  greenhouse    135 

Thyridopteryx  ephemersefor- 

mis    143 

Tipulidse   119 

Tischeria  malifoliella   49 

Titmice    10 

Tmetocera  ocellana 38 

Tobacco  flea-beetle    112 

Tobacco  pests 8,  112 

Tobacco    19 

Tobacco   paper 28 

Tomato  pests 8,  102 

Torch,    gasoline 29 

Tower   33 

Toxoptera  graminum  119 

Trap  lanterns   29 

Tree-cricket,  striped  84 

Treeleim 30 

Tremex  columba 143 

Trialeurodes   vaporariorum.  132 

Trichobaris  trinotata    90 

Trichodectes  scalaris   149 

Trichodectes  sph?erocephalus  146 

Tritoxa  flexa 102 

Trumpet  leaf-miner 49 

Tussock  moth 44,  138 

Twig  girdler 8 

Tyloderma  fragarise   83 

Typhlocyba  comes  74 

Typhoid    2 

Typophorus  canellus 83 

Vireos   10 

Warblers    10 

Wax 4 

Webworm  sod 120 

Wheat  insects   114 

Wheat   joint-worm 117 

Wheat  midge Ii5 

Wheat-stem  maggot   116 

Wheat  straw-worm 117 

White-fly    132 

White  grubs 9,  81,  120 

Willow-borer    140 

Wire  worms 9,  116,  119 

Woodpeckers     10 

Woolly-aphid 46 

Wren  10 


172  INDEX 

Xyleborus  dispar 59      Ycllow-neckcd  caterpillars...  51 

Xylina  antennata  : 48,  59      Ypsolophns  ligulellus  51 

XyJina  laticinerea  48 

Zeiizera  pyrina  143 


FEINTED   IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    OT   AMERICA 


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